Harry Potter and the Secret Elite
by theguitarist
Summary: Sequel to the Next Realm, which should be read first . After his adventures in the Next Realm Harry was now out again in a peaceful wizarding world. Preparing for his first professional Quidditch match Harry could have no inkling of what was to come...
1. Chapter 1 Seeker Sought

Harry Potter and the Secret Elite

Hello all! It has been a long time. Only decided to write this earlier this year, but did not really know where to go after the last one! I hope it turns out alright!

A few notes: I know I shouldn't do this but a necessary edit is that Ginny postponed her seventh year so is due back at Hogwarts at the beginning of this year. I know I said something to the contrary at the end of "The Next Realm" but oh well. Sorry. Something else which is sort of an edit, more a correction of something which could have been misinterpreted, is that Harry's first Quidditch match at the end of the previous book was in the reserves. Apologies if there are any other continuity errors; I've tried to avoid them!

NB: As always, reviews would be greatly appreciated.

Chapter One - Seeker Sought

The night was a brilliant azure blue, pinpricks of light dotting the glorious twilight of the sky that overlooked an enormous quidditch stadium. The golden hue and rapturous noise emanating from it attracted the local pigeons, who settled down to roost on the upper-most roof. In the darkness of Twybrook Stadium, Harry Potter was extremely nervous. It was a familiar sensation, given his circumstances: crowd roaring; broomstick in hand; a sliver of blinding light up ahead. But never before in navy-blue robes, in a professional quidditch match. For Harry was waiting to make his much anticipated professional quidditch debut, after almost a year in reserves, for the Kingston Kites. It had taken him almost a year due to his needing to allocate time for his Auror duties, but finally here he was, standing in a small tunnel illuminated by the bright glow at the far end. Around him were his fellow team-mates and alongside him was the seeker for the Guildford Griffins, the opposition for this final match of the season. As the Kites were already confirmed as fourth in the league, Harry was being given his first chance.

The year had been a hectic one, but undoubtedly the best that Harry had ever lived through. Not only had Harry been getting paid handsomely to play a sport he loved, but two other important events had made him happier than he had ever been. First had been the downfall of Lord Voldemort. Harry's duel with Voldemort had spanned not only the years but the realms also, with Harry and Voldemort clashing finally in the Salazar Temple in the land of the dead over a year ago. Harry had eventually beaten Voldemort, restored life to Hermione, and eventually returned to the world of the living, and to Ginny.

Ginny. Harry's thoughts were dominated by her; she was the very reason for his life. The summer had meant hours of just being together and, eventually, the wedding itself. That day was unquestionably the happiest of his life so far, and it was a big event in the wizarding world in general.

Despite Harry's best efforts there was no way their wedding would be anything but public. The original guest list was limited to one hundred people, (a number that still seemed too big to Harry), but witches, wizards and various magical creatures with even the most tenuous, (and sometimes entirely fabricated), link to the bride and groom just kept showing up. The ceremony had been perfect throughout though, and Harry would never forget the sight of Ginny moving gracefully down the aisle. Dobby had brought forward the rings, and in his giddy happiness he looked similar to a slightly tipsy person, staggering up the aisle, even bumping into one of the chairs on the way up. Harry's own ring was a shining silver and had a glowing phoenix on the side, which soared gracefully up and down around his finger, melting in and out of focus as it shrunk into the distance.

The wedding had taken place at Hogwarts with Dumbledore presiding over the ceremony. The only small hiccup had been Ron's tipsy and slightly bungled best man's speech, but Harry had rescued him before it became too embarrassing. All his Hogwarts teachers, even, to Harry's slight annoyance, Professor Snape, showed up, along with Minerva McGonagall, who had stepped down as Transfiguration teacher. Currently Professor Grubbly-Plank had assumed the role, although Harry knew Dumbledore had spoken to Hermione and that she was preparing for the role; a matter they had talked of at the wedding.

Arthur Weasley, Ron and Ginny's father and Minister for Magic, professed that he could not think of a better son-in-law while his wife Molly just sobbed and nodded happily. Harry himself was elated by the thought that the Weasley's were now his family, and that Ron, Fred and George were his brothers.

All his other time had been spent either finishing his biography with Hermione, (an idea that had seemed slightly embarrassing at first but that had proved to be very enjoyable in the end), or at Twybrook Stadium honing his Quidditch skills. Harry had received numerous work offers, some of which – such as teaching at Hogwarts and becoming a full time Auror – had been realistic, whilst others – marketing for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes – had been taken more lightly, but Harry had known since his very first visit to Twybrook that he belonged there. It was the site of the first Quidditch match he had ever seen, and Harry knew that in other circumstances his father, James Potter, would have played for the Kingston Kites.

And so, Harry had signed for them and spent the summer practising with the team. There he had learnt about advanced team tactics, tricks for spotting the snitch more easily in a floodlit stadium, and about the opponents he would face over an average year. He learnt about European competition as well as how he would best make it into the international team. Moran, an Irish chaser who played for the Kites, constantly jested that if Harry could stay on his broom for more than a minute he was worthy of the English Quidditch team.

Suddenly, Harry was jolted out of his reminiscence by the sound of the stadium announcer speaking over the tanoy.

"Welcome Ladies, Gentlemen, and creatures of all types and ages," he said in that typical "are you ready?" tone of voice. "Welcome to Twybrook Stadium for the final game of the season, Kingston versus Guildford!" The crowd roared and Harry's stomach did another somersault.

"Firstly let's welcome the visitors from just down the road, it's the Guildford Griffins!"

There was an explosion of boos from the crowd, save for a small pocket of cheers from the away fans. The announcer reeled off the player's names as they zipped past Harry & into the stadium.

"And it's Smith, Fletcher, Owens, Osagio, Reuben, Brockhurst aaaaaaaaaand McFurl!" More boos followed as ahead of Harry, the last player emerged into the light. The Kites players mounted their brooms and, trembling slightly, Harry did likewise.

"And now," continued the announcer once the boos had subsided, "For the very last time this season, please put your hands together for your Kingston Kites!" The players in front of Harry whipped out into the stadium as their names were called, but before Harry's name was announced there was a short pause.

"And tonight, turning out for the very first time for the Kites, please give an extra special welcome for…. POTTER!" Harry took a deep breath and leaned forward, hurtling forwards into the bright lights of the stadium as, simultaneously, fireworks and confetti exploded out of cannons either side of the tunnel he flew out of.

The roar of appreciation was immediate and immense. Harry emerged into the stadium mildly disorientated by the many camera flashes around the ground. He took a few moments to adjust to the lights, but soon the familiarity of his broom calmed his nerves.

"I've out flown Dragons and been praised by Viktor Krum," he told himself sternly. "I can do this." He positioned himself above his team mates and directly opposite the visiting seeker, McFurl. He gave Harry a cheery wave as the snitch was released, visible temporarily before disappearing into the stadium somewhere. A few moments later, the referee blew the whistle and the game began.

Harry had been told that a figure of eight whilst varying his height a little was the best tactic at the beginning for finding the snitch, and so he set off. McFurl did likewise, and beneath them the action unfolded. The two home beaters, Stevens and Broffski, were playing out of their skins, breaking up virtually every single attack that came towards the Kingston hoops. Spurred on by this the chasers were also on top form, and soon Kinston had built up a commanding lead.

Harry however, barely even registered this. More than any other Quidditch game that he had played before, he was focussed: green eyes darting from side to side, ever watchful for that glint of gold. He also kept an eye on his opposite number who also seemed to be having difficulty. And it was during one of these glances at McFurl that Harry saw it, hovering barely two metres behind McFurl.

Moving as casually as possible, but with his eyes fixed on the Snitch, Harry edged across towards McFurl. Soon some of the crowd realised what was going on, and their cheering alerted McFurl, who looked up as Harry dived. Throwing himself flat on his broom he hurled himself at the snitch and the seeker, both of which moved sharply out of the way. Harry, eye on the snitch, tore after it.

The entire crowd had now caught on to what was going on, and they urged their new seeker on proudly. Nimbly dodging a bludger Harry swung around the hoops after the snitch, fully aware of his opposite number closing in from the side. Harry stretched out his arm and, within moments, he felt his fist closing around the cold golden snitch.

Soaring above the pitch Harry held the snitch aloft in triumph but the roar of the crowd did not follow. Instead there were screams. Harry whirled around, his broom level with topmost stand. As he looked down, he nearly fell off his broom.

Glittering below, a shining mockery of the stadium lights, a harsh green and black skull had emerged. A serpent's tongue flickered malevolently, and Harry felt a chill run down his spine. The Dark Mark! His eyes darted to the V.I.P box where the Weasleys were, but they were all there: unhurt, but very shocked. And then, seemingly from within the very mouth of the Mark itself, a deep, thundering, terrible voice rent through the anxious whispers of the night.

"ACCIO ANDROMIDA!" Harry immediately felt as though he was being dragged downwards by the ring on his hand, towards the taunting, gaping mouth of the skull. Harry yanked on his broom, twisting and turning away from the skull. All eyes were on his struggle, pulling inexorably towards the Mark. Mr Weasley and the Aurors, including Ron, were already all on there feet, their wands drawn, but completely unsure as to what action to take against this invisible foe.

Two of Harry's team mates, Broffski and Moran, hurried forward to help him fight against the spell, but they moved too late. Their hands grabbed the now riderless Firebolt as Harry fell downwards into the awaiting mouth of the Dark Mark. Harry's vision went black, and in Twybrook Stadium the Mark vanished leaving behind it nothing but air and stunned, appalled silence.


	2. Chapter 2 The Lair

A short chapter I'll admit…

Chapter Two – The Lair

Harry gingerly opened his eyes; pretty sure that he wouldn't like what he saw when he opened them. He was quite right.

"Welcome," said a horribly familiar deep voice. "Welcome to your new home." The voice was emanating from a Death Eater who was stooped over him. His mask seemed to be leering at Harry, who remained stock still. The Death Eater gestured at the chair behind Harry. "Sit."

Harry carefully rose and sat on the proffered stool and, remembering his Auror training, took in all that was around him. He was obviously deep underground; the rocky walls and lack of sunlight made this easily apparent. The small chamber he was in now was roughly the size of an average living room or large bedroom, with only one entrance. This was guarded by two further Death Eaters, both of whom had wands gripped firmly in their hands. The flickering torchlight illuminated a shadowy fourth figure who was leaning against the wall. The Death Eater who had spoken to Harry sat himself on a stool opposite Harry.

The Death Eater eyed him warily. "Are you hurt?" It was the last thing that Harry had expected. Carefully, Harry shook his head. His captor nodded solemnly. "Pity. Number Two?" He tilted his head towards the skulking figure, who straightened.

"Crucio!" The word was spat out so unexpectedly and with such venom that Harry could not help crying out in agony. It had been over a year since he had last felt the immense stabbing knives of the Cruciatus curse and the surprise of it almost caused him to pass out. He tried to throw off the curse but found that he couldn't. A moment later the pain was replaced by an aching numbness as the curse was lifted. Panting slightly, Harry forced himself back on to the chair.

"As you have just discovered," said the Death Eater in front of him, "you cannot perform magic within this lair. My Death Eaters can. Test the theory if you want to but you will be punished if you do. You should also note that apparition is impossible within a mile of this place, even for my loyal Death Eaters. Escape is impossible and attempts will be punished with various means of torture. Is that clear?"

Harry looked at his captor. "What do you want from me?" The Death Eater laughed.

"You will know in time. For the moment, to cause you great pain would be high on my wish list." He paused for a moment. "And you shall feel great pain… Great indeed."

"And so, the rules. You will stay in your cell. Any attempts at escape or at magic of any kind will result in various forms of torture and pain. Do as asked and your wife need not be harmed. Clear?"

Harry recoiled in horror. "If you harm Ginny then I swear I will kill you," he hissed.

"Crucio!" Once again Harry felt the stabbing knives of pain but they were swiftly withdrawn.

"We'll make the rules here," said his captor matter-of-factly. "Although your sentiment will be noted."

And with that, he got up and strode from view, skulking partner in tow.

*

Those hours in the dark were some of the longest and loneliest of Harry's life. Although it felt like whole weeks were going past it was in matter of fact only a few days. The first thing he did after the two interrogators had left was to test the magic boundary he was supposedly in. He decided that apparition would be best and it was also the one he was most used to doing without his wand. Focussing carefully on Hogsmeade village he attempted to apparate. Almost instantly, three things happened: A light came on by the door; an alarm bell went off; and Harry was hit by the Cruciatus curse. Harry decided fairly quickly that this was not a rule to be messed around with.

He also learnt fast that escape was, without magic, impossible. If he so much as took a step towards the chamber entrance wands were raised. The guards changed regularly and any attempt to engage them in conversation met with the same, painful response.

His waking hours were punctuated by visits from his two interrogators, or Number One and Number Two as they were known to Harry. Occasionally they brought food, sometimes taunts, and sometimes their wands seemingly to experiment on him, but Harry did not know what their aim was. Often it caused him pain and Harry sometimes wondered whether it was just another means of torture for him, but several times they took blood from him and on other occasions he was forced to drink potions, none of which seemed to do anything but most of which tasted fairly foul.

The lair was obviously very busy. At any given time of day or night, (or entirely night to Harry), the corridor outside his cell was a veritable hive of activity. The sound of purposeful movement and urgent but muffled conversation was always audible, and several times Harry distinctly heard screams. Wondering if it was another prisoner or just a Death Eater who had failed at something, Harry was forced to just sit and ponder.

Why was he here? Why were these Death Eaters experimenting on him? Harry knew that many of Voldemort's followers had been almost as terrible as Voldemort himself, but still the Death Eaters had all but caved on Voldemort's death. True, Harry thought, there had been pockets of resistance but these had been small and short lived. So why were there still so many, and what were they using him for? And who were Number One and Number Two?

This final question was answered unexpectedly by Number One on the third day of his captivity. Harry only knew the day by the number of meals he'd had, and he was beginning to wonder if he would ever get out of his cell. Then, just as he finished his dinner, Number One and Number Two entered the room, dragging a third figure who had a bag over his head.

"I've brought you a visitor," said Number One, who sounded very pleased with himself. And, with a flourish, he plucked the sack off the captive's head.

It was Neville Longbottom. "I'm sorry Harry," he said softly; his once weak voice now calmer, a change Harry had noticed upon his return from the next realm. Neville had lost his fear.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "they caught me off guard."

"You and me both," said Harry with a small, sad smile, which faded fast from his face. Harry looked up at Number One and stated one word very simply: "Why?"

"Why you?" he replied slowly, looking at Harry through the narrow slits in his mask. "No, now is not quite the time for that. Why him? Because he tried to protect your wife." Noting Harry's horrified look with obvious pleasure, Number One continued. "You need not fear, she's still at home. We just need to make sure we are able to reach her without any trouble if needs be."

Harry was completely appalled. "What do you need me for? Your master is dead! I killed him – twice!" Number One merely laughed, whilst Number Two shifted his position slightly. Harry tried another tack. "Who are you?"

"That's a lot easier," Number One said quietly. He glanced at Number Two who gave an almost imperceptible nod. "This is my cousin, Andromidus. And my name is Regalus. I believe that you knew my brother Sirius?"


	3. Chapter 3 Regalus and Andromidus

Another short chapter: sorry I'd forgotten these early ones were a little light! They get longer I promise…

Chapter Three - Regalus and Andromidus Black

Harry's heart went cold. He was being held in a lair run by goodness knows how many Death Eaters, he had been tortured, Neville had been captured and Ginny had been threatened. And all this was the responsibility of Sirius' brother Regalus and cousin Andromidus?

"But… but…" Harry started, his mind desperately trying to comprehend the dire situation he was in, "But I thought you died! Sirius told me you tried to back out of the Death Eaters and that – that you had been killed on Voldemort's instruction!"

Regalus, who had still not taken his mask off, let out a delighted laugh. "So that ploy did work!" His laughter to Harry sounded nothing like that of Sirius; it was far less jovial and had a definite hint of cruelty and malice in its midst. "We did wonder.

"No Harry. The Dark Lord devised a scheme to hide me so completely that I would be thought dead. He even made a fake body that had an adapted form of Polyjuice Potion in it to make it seem as though I were truly dead. And then I hid. Soon the Dark Lord sent Andromidus here to join me, and gradually the numbers of Death Eaters here swelled to nearly thirty. We were the Secret Elite.

"As time went by and the first war was fought, we operated completely in secret, carrying out the most crucial of missions. Not even the Dark Lord's so-called "closest" Death Eaters knew of our existence; not Wormtail; not Lucius; not even Severus. And so we gathered his army, used the Muggle attacks as diversions to speak to the Dementors and at one point had nearly half the Ministry either dead, under surveillance or under our control.

"And then, in a seemingly routine attack on Godric's Hollow, it all fell apart. A half-blood baby had escaped alive from an attack, whilst the Dark Lord had been, as we thought, destroyed. I will admit that some of us almost lost faith. While none of us could return to our former identities several re-entered the community under false names and have managed to take up jobs, raise families, and lead normal lives again. But always we have remained faithful. Andromidus and I personally had always been looking for ways of resurrecting the Dark Lord when, just over three years ago, he managed it without us.

"Needless to say we were overjoyed that he was back. Andromidus was there that night in the graveyard. Within minutes of your… escape, Voldemort had re-established with Andromidus the Secret Elite. We spent the second war co-ordinating Giants, Werewolves and Dementors. And still you managed to face Voldemort..."

He trailed off and Harry allowed himself a small grin which Neville returned. They both regretted it as both were hit by the Cruciatus curse once more. As the pain subsided Harry wrenched his gaze up into the eyes of Regalus. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Why?" said Regalus with a small, twisted laugh. "Just thought you ought to know who was holding you and your friend. We thought you should know how serious we are."

"Yes," Harry murmured, "because it's been a barrel of laughs so far." This time Regalus laughed instead of putting Harry under the Cruciatus curse.

"Still got a sense of humour then?" he asked, almost jovially. "I'm sure we can drive that out of you… Andromidus, take Mr Longbottom away. When he is being… interrogated, bring him somewhere near here, so Harry can hear. Otherwise keep him on the upper level." Andromidus nodded and, placing the sack back on Neville's head, he dragged Neville out of the room and out of sight. A moment later, Regalus followed him, leaving Harry to his thoughts.

*

Harry saw little of his captors and nothing of Neville over the next couple of days. Once he heard Neville scream and Harry felt sick to his stomach. Neville had been brought into this for merely trying to help Ginny, and Harry felt a surge of affection for his friend upstairs. Harry was also grimly proud to note that Neville did not seem to be allowing them much satisfaction with the Death Eaters attempts to torture him.

Harry's attempts to draw more conversation from Regalus proved fruitless, and so he concentrated his efforts on the one thing that mattered most at that moment in time: escape.

His focus on this subject had so far proved almost as fruitless as trying to talk to Regalus. The guards were all strictly loyal and none could be lured into any deviation from either stolid silence or the Cruciatus curse. Their rotation was clockwork and none ever showed any outward sign of tiredness or anything other than their unswerving attention.

He was forced to acknowledge that he would not be able to escape by turning one of the Death Eaters, or by their neglect. Harry couldn't help but be grudgingly impressed with their fervour and unwavering attention to the task in hand, although it did make his life a lot more difficult. He instead focussed his mind on other ideas.

First, he tried to communicate with Neville. Harry knew that thought projection was possible, as an obscure branch of Legilimency. However this proved to be unwise as the alarm bell clanged its familiar, punishment-preceding tune, and Harry was once again hit with the Cruciatus curse.

It was at that moment that Harry realised that to succeed he had to turn off the alarm. Since he had absolutely no idea where the alarm was, or how it worked, this instantly posed a big problem. Harry sat there thinking for a moment, trying to decide how he could possibly escape. What would Dumbledore do?

This was a question he had an inkling he could answer. Dumbledore would use his feelings. He would reach out with his magic, grasping to find an aura of power, the glow of raw magic pulsating somewhere inside the room. He would some how remove the magic around the alarm, but how? Harry decided to cross that bridge when he came to it. Before he could try anything though, Regalus entered the room. He held out a vial in front of him.

"Drink," he said simply.

Harry eyed it warily. "What is it?"

"Crucio!" Regalus spat at him violently and Harry, caught completely unawares, was knocked to the floor as the somewhat familiar agony pounded into his body. As the curse was lifted Regalus held the vial out again. "Drink!"

Harry knew that, one way or another, he would be forced to drink it and extended a slightly shaking hand. He peered at the substance inside for a moment. It was a viscous, muddy-green liquid that seemed to be moving and bubbling whilst remaining stationary. Harry lifted it towards his lips and tossed it back in one go. However, it didn't feel like an ordinary liquid: instead of falling down his throat it felt as though the liquid was working its way up into Harry's head somehow, and a moment later, Harry keeled over.

A quick succession of images flicked through his head: A river; a pavement; a flight of stairs; and finally a bedroom. In this room he could hear a child crying, but he awoke before anything could happen. Regalus took another small bottle from his pocket and took a drop of Harry's blood into it, before leaving the room.

Harry was confused. What were they looking for? Where were the scenes he had just witnessed? Who was the child? This last question sent a horrible thought down Harry's spine, but he quickly repressed it, turning his attention back to the task in hand. He lay back down on his side, facing away from the door, and closed his eyes.

Now what? He had never known how to do this kind of magic; never been called upon to do it. Yet now here he was, trapped by a group of Voldemort's most important Death Eaters, in an alarmed room, with Neville somewhere nearby. Harry shut these thoughts out knowing full well that pressure would make things twice as hard. He closed his eyes, and tried to relax. He let every feeling, every thought about his current plight escape from his mind and, eyes tight shut, began to visualise the room.

There was the door and the guards beyond it, and the four rocky walls around him. Harry could almost feel the hard cell walls around him when he realised, with a moment of delighted surprise, that he really could feel them. In his shock he let go of the feeling, but not before noting how he had felt. He began to reach out again, but didn't know where he should be feeling. He began to systematically comb the walls around him, but an idea struck him. He prepared himself for the Cruciatus curse that was about to come his way, and began reaching out with his thoughts, trying to contact Neville. As predicted the alarm went off and Harry was hit the Cruciatus curse, but not before noting where the alarm was. He would wait for the change of the guards to try again, he decided, but a small beacon of hope now flared in his heart.


	4. Chapter 4 The Potion

Chapter Four – The Potion

It seemed to be an age until the guards finally changed. Harry had been sure that they would sense his eager anticipation as he awaited their changeover. As the time finally arrived, Harry curled up on his side, facing away from the two new guards, and let himself relax again. It took him a long time to calm his heart beat down enough before he could even begin. When he thought he was ready, he began to feel with his magic.

He forced himself to move slowly, unhurriedly towards where he had sensed the alarm. Terrified that he would be found out, yet excited that he might finally be able to escape, this painstaking process was difficult to maintain. Eventually he felt something, a spell on which to take a handle hold; the alarm. Now he was posed with a problem; how did he turn it off? "Use your enemy's weakness…" the words of Hugh McMan drifted through his mind and, in a moment of blinding realisation, he knew what to do.

Absorb the magic. Its simplicity was great yet even better was the knowledge that he would grow stronger. He reached into the ether, the colourless glow of raw magic ahead, and slowly, he pulled. The sensation was similar to the ones he had experienced the previous year, when Dumbledore had given him his Legilimancy and Occlumancy skills, and also when he had been inside the golden room in the department of mysteries, but far less intense. He felt a small flow of energy throughout his body, which slowed to a halt fairly quickly.

Harry was buzzing with excitement and fresh energy, looking around for a suitable test. His eyes fell on a small loose stone just in front of him, and he focussed his thoughts on it.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" It was less than a whisper, but it was enough. Harry watched euphorically as the pebble rose into the air, before he softly set it back again. Harry felt ecstatic as hope was rekindled inside him, and he could start to plan a way of escape. There was one plain fact which Harry knew had to be included in his plans: he had to rescue Neville too. He settled back in his cell to think, closing his eyes, he plotted their escape plan.

*

Within a few hours of his small triumph, Andromidus and Regalus, returned to his cell. Harry considered using wandless magic silently against them, but decided against it. Not only was he not as powerful magically as his two captors, Harry was pretty sure he could not over power Andromidus alone, even with the element of surprise. Harry did not know what it was, maybe that he rarely spoke, or that Regalus, despite being Number One, always seemed to defer to him on decisions and opinions, but Harry was extremely wary of Andromidus. Like Dumbledore, he seemed to exude power and confidence, radiating strength, except without the benevolence and kindness of the Hogwarts headmaster. Either way, the outcome was that he did not risk trying to overcome his interrogators.

They had not arrived unaccompanied. Two death eaters followed them into the room, carrying a large cauldron between them that was brimming with some sort of potion. The surface of it fizzed and hissed, a thick haze of glittering green smoke swirling in an unnatural way above it, forming coherent shapes (often images of snakes and of very small children), before melting back into a shapeless mist. The two death eaters placed it into the middle of the room before exiting, to be replaced by a further three death eaters. The first conjured a small table before placing a stone basin that Harry recognised as being a pensieve on top of it. The other two were holding Neville.

He looked utterly woebegone. His haggard face bore all the hallmarks of both magical and physical torture. His black eyes focussed blearily on Harry, his weary head barely supported by his battered body. Harry suspected their captors had woken him to torture him, allowing him no let up from this waking nightmare. His lips twitched into what Harry interpreted to be an attempt at a smile. Harry felt furious, boiling rage flooding through him. He looked up at Regalus and Andromidus, breathing heavily.

"I swear," he said through gritted teeth, "if you hurt him anymore, I will kill you both. I will watch you die as I watched Voldemort die. I will kill you."

"Crucio!" yelled Regalus, but Harry, who had been expecting it, did not flinch. He felt the usual hot stabs of pain, but did not move, glaring furiously at Regalus who released the curse, and Harry was happy to see he looked thoroughly perturbed. Andromidus raised his eyebrows slightly with what seemed like a hint of respect, but said nothing. He turned to Regalus, before they both turned to face the cauldron.

Harry seized the opportunity. Focusing his energy at thought projection, he locked eyes with Neville. "Neville," he said softly, "don't react. It's me. Give me a small nod if you can hear me." Neville slowly inclined his head in a gesture of assent, and Harry continued. "We haven't got much time. I've managed to switch the alarm off, so I can perform magic. We can escape if we work together." Harry took a deep breath, both mentally and physically.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to use the time when you're being... interrogated." Neville nodded again. "I'm going to try and get them to use my wand on you, so when I come and get you I can get it back again. When you're next being... interrogated, yell out the words "LET ME GO!" as loud as you can. Then I'll stun the guards, use the disillusionment charm, take their wands and come and get you. Nod if you understand." Neville nodded slightly, his previously dim eyes alight with hope.

It was at this moment when Regalus and Andromidus turned to face Harry again. Harry noted, with a feeling of dread in his stomach, that they too had a light of fervour and hope in their eyes, and Harry couldn't help the flow of apprehension rippling through his body.

"At last," Regalus murmured excitedly, his hand clenched on Harry's wand. "At last we are ready!" He started to stir the cauldron with Harry's wand. Harry took a chance.

"You'll never use my wand for evil!" he proclaimed loudly. "You'll never get it to cause pain."

Regalus considered Harry for a moment as he stirred the cauldron, before an ugly smile crept across his face. "Stevens," he said, addressing the death eater behind him, "next time Longbottom is visiting the room upstairs, use this wand against him." He looked malevolently at Harry, who hid his satisfaction behind a mask of rage. Regalus continued. "You can take him when we're finished here."

Harry did not get a chance to let out a growl of hatred, as Andromidus stepped forwards with a small knife. Without any ceremony or warning, he plunged it into Harry's arm, Caught off guard, Harry let out a shout of pain, which he quickly repressed. With a sneer that reminded Harry forcefully of Snape, he withdrew the knife, replacing it with a small vial. Harry's blood trickled into it and, when it was full, he poured it into the cauldron. The potion rippled ominously and Andromidus turned again, yanked a hair off Harry's head and added it to the potion, which turned a blinding white colour.

Andromidus took a glassful and offered it to Harry. "Drink." he said simply. Harry hesitated, and Regalus hit Neville from behind with the Cruciatus curse.

"Stop, stop!" Harry yelled as Neville writhed in agony. Harry raised the glass to his lips as the curse was lifted, and drank the entire glass.

At first, Harry felt nothing at all. As the potion seemed to seep through his body, he became aware of the fact that he had slumped to the floor. However, as before when he was reaching out for the alarm, his consciousness seemed to remain. It was at this point, without any lead up, that his consciousness floated out of the room.

Harry managed to recover his senses quickly enough to observe the outside of his cell. It reminded him of the chasm of life, a chamber created by Godric Gryffindor that Harry had visited in his sixth year. He floated through stony corridors, speeding up all the time, zigzagging left and right, and Harry found it difficult to memorise. He thought he saw a dining room off to one side before, a few moments later, he emerged into blinding sunlight.

He was over a vast moor. He felt himself zooming off to one side, gathering pace at ever second, towards the edge of the moor. He saw giants patrolling the outside perimeter and Dementors floating through the sky like flocks of birds, except with an air of cold cruelty and malice. Harry raced straight through them and onwards, over small towns, his flight tracing the coast line before diving in land, following a small river. Eventually he started to slow as he reached a city of creamy stone, curving through a wide valley. He moved past a great abbey before settling on a long street of terraced houses. Harry thought he caught a glimpse of Aaron Shacklebolt casually leaning against a wall further down the street in jeans listening to an ordinary CD player, but before he could check he'd turned to the left hand side of the street. Without hesitation he entered house number thirty, climbing some stairs before stopping in a small bedroom.

In the middle of the room, a blonde lady was leaning concernedly over a small toddler, who was banging his tiny fists against a bed lying against the wall. He turned to face the blonde lady, obviously his mother, his own brilliant blonde hair, almost white in fact, swirling around with his every movement. Harry let out a gasp. The angry face that he was looking upon was contorted beyond a childish tantrum, but looked borderline livid. For a moment his eyes, a vivid green, seemed to connect with Harry's, as if he could see him. Harry felt a brief slice of pain across his forehead and he woke up in his cell.

"Voldemort!" he said quickly, before he could stop himself. Regalus and Andromidus came into his blurred vision, exchanging a gleeful glance. They advanced on Harry and, as Andromidus held him still, Regalus placed a wand against Harry's temple. Harry felt a strange sensation inside his head as if all his thoughts had gathered at one side of his brain where Harry's wand was being held, before one was filtered out. He briefly saw a glimpse of the long terraced street before the sensation stopped.

Regalus removed the wand from Harry's head, a silvery strand attached to it. Andromidus relinquished his hold on Harry and the two of the proceeded to place Harry's vision into the pensieve, glancing tremulous looks at each other. After taking a deep breath, both plunged their heads into the shimmering substance.

Harry and Neville watched in trepidation, Harry's mind racing. That was the reborn Voldemort, of that Harry had no doubt. Could they bring him back? Could Aaron protect him, or Dumbledore for that matter? Harry mentally related what had happened to Neville, and just as Neville's mouth was dropping, Regalus and Andromidus emerged from the pensieve looking excited.

"Finally..." said Regalus, his eyes on Andromidus, who reflected Regalus' look of triumph. "Finally we know. We know where he is. We've done it! Imagine how we will be rewarded should we succeed!"

"He certainly has not lost any of his temperament has he?" Andromidus let out a bark of laughter. "Even for one so young he feels full-blown rage! But enough time wasting, we must act at once." He turned to Harry. "I assume you understand the implications of what you just saw? Soon you will feel the vengeance of the Dark Lord and, believe me, he will show no mercy. Death will not be enough for him!"

Then, laughing, he handed Harry's wand to the Death Eater named Stevens and left the room with Regalus, Neville being dragged behind them, leaving Harry in a state of complete, devastated shock.


	5. Chapter 5 Running The Gauntlet

Chapter 5 – Running the Gauntlet

Harry could not believe what had just happened. Voldemort? Back from the dead? Surely it wasn't possible... Harry desperately tried to reassure himself of this fact, but then he remembered that Dumbledore himself had set out to monitor the reborn child. Could he have known that something like this would happen? Knowing Dumbledore, he probably would have done, and the fact that Harry thought he saw Aaron Shacklebolt in jeans leaning against the wall confirmed his suspicions.

Harry sat back, his mind racing over his memories, images of Voldemort sprouting through his subconscious raked from the past: the looming graveyard; the exploding ministry fountain; the monstrous prison; the grey temple. His mind returned to the graveyard and the figure emerging from the mist. Could it happen again? Harry couldn't avoid the twitch of fear; there was a strong likelihood that his previous victories had come to nothing. The sense of unfairness vied with fear, and Harry had no idea which one he felt more.

"LET ME GO!" Harry was jolted out of contemplation by a shriek from upstairs, followed by sinister laughter from the guards outside his cell. The plan! All thoughts of his ideas had been driven from his head, the plotted escape forgotten in the aftershock from the potion. Neville was upstairs, being tortured with Harry's wand. The moment had come.

Harry started to pace his cell. The guards raised their wands but, after a while and a signal of meek compliance from Harry, they turned away, lowering their wands again. Summoning all of his energy and his knowledge of wandless and silent spell casting, he focussed on the guards.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Twice the words echoed around his head, and the two guards fell rigidly to the floor. Harry hurried out, dragging the two guards into an upright position against the wall, slightly in the shadows so as to mask their plight. Taking both of their wands, he stowed one in his pocket and used the other to cast the disillusionment charm on himself. Remembering the vision he had just had, he crept quietly up the corridor to his right.

As he rounded a corner he had to flatten himself against the wall as a hooded death eater strode past him. Thankfully he neither noticed Harry nor went down towards his cell, instead taking another corridor to one side. Harry continued, following the path slowly upwards.

As he reached an intersection he heard another yell from Neville, very nearby. Taking the right hand corridor again, he felt it gradually bend to the right as he ran quietly along. He guessed that he was now right above his cell and he stopped, taking a quick breather, and using the time to have a listen. Just up the corridor he could just make out soft footsteps and, as he inched forward, he heard a cruel voice speaking.

"Do you love her?" he mocked, and Harry could almost hear the sneer on his face. "Do you love Mrs Potter? Is that why you went to protect her? Is that why you grovel to Potter – out of guilt? Or even hope that he will relinquish her to you? Do you want Potter to die, so she can be yours?" At this Neville let out a roar of rage which was doubled by the Cruciatus curse. This was too much for Harry. Drawing the second wand he rounded the corner and took aim at the two death eaters, one of whom he recognised as Stevens.

"Stupefy!" he whispered violently. Two blasts of stunning red light emerged from the two wands and the death eaters were blasted back into the rear wall with enormous speed, rendering both unconscious. Harry revealed himself and handed Neville the two wands he held as he retrieved his own and those of the two death eaters.

"Are you okay?" he whispered urgently.

"I'm alright," said Neville, though he looked very shaken. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Harry said quickly, putting Neville's hand on his should before placing the disillusionment charm on both Neville and himself, before moving Neville's hand from his shoulder.

Neville looked bemused. "What did you do that for?"

"It's a trick I learnt at the Auror training facility," he replied. "This way we can see each other but no one else can."

"Cool!" Neville answered, but Harry raised a finger to his lips. Petrifying and disillusioning the two guards, Harry beckoned for Neville to follow him. Looking around furtively, they proceeded back the way Harry had come to find Neville, until they reached the intersection. Heading past the left hand path which went back to Harry's cell, they followed the path straight ahead, which rose dramatically. Harry felt buoyed by this; up meant they were approaching the surface. Harry halted Neville as sound reached their ears from up ahead.

"It's the dining hall," Harry breathed excitedly. "We've just got to get past there and we're out!" They edged forwards until the dining room came into sight off to the left. Harry's spirits were rising; the path that ran around it meant that they did not have to even pass through the room. But just as they were half way around, inevitably, events went spectacularly awry.

"Potter's gone!" The alarm had been sounded, and the death eaters in the room, of which there were almost twenty, jumped to their feet.

"Find him!" yelled the one who was obviously in charge, "or there will be hell to pay when they return!" Harry had a pretty shrewd idea of who "they" were, and he wasted no time. He aimed back as far down the corridor as he could.

"Reducto," he muttered, and the stony wall exploded in a shower of rubble. Using the temporary distraction, Harry seized Neville and ran.

"Guard the exit!" The leading death eater had reacted first, and two death eaters ran up a side corridor. Casting another quick "reducto!" across the dining hall, Harry led Neville after them. Leaving the pandemonium behind them they ran, their footsteps well hidden amongst the activity behind them, they soon found themselves approaching sunlight. This was swiftly blocked out as not two, but four death eaters gathered at the tunnel entrance, wands drawn. Neville caught Harry's sleeve as they saw one of the death eaters fire a bright purple firework into the sky. Neville raised both the wands he was holding.

"Stunners on three?" he whispered. Harry nodded and Neville looked up at the death eaters. "I'll take the two on the left, you take the two on the right. Three... two... one... STUPEFY!" The words exploded from both Harry and Neville and beams of red crashed into their foes, the spells amplified by the thin corridor. They were blasted off their feet and Harry and Neville ran for it.

As soon as they were out into the open air, as they jumped over the stunned death eaters, Harry fired a spell into the air, and a shape appeared above his head; a shining golden phoenix. Harry shot another reducto curse over his shoulder and heard the entrance cave in, but neither of them turned to watch.

"We can't apparate here," Neville said breathlessly, "we've got to get off this moor!" Just as Harry was about to reply, three things happened. Firstly, a flood of Dementors swarmed into view, followed by five enormous giants. Secondly, the lair behind them exploded in a shower of stone as death eaters poured out in droves. Finally, in the distance, Harry could see members of the Order hurtling towards them.

Harry gestured to Neville at the Dementors, deciding that they were the most pressing matter. Harry focussed on his emerging from the veil from the next realm. "Expecto Patronum!" A silver stag erupted from his wand, as beside him Neville's silver lion chased after it. The Dementors were driven away, but the patronuses had given away their position. Harry pulled Neville to the ground as an explosion of stunners and other spells soared over their heads. Harry rolled over holding his two wands in the air.

"Impeditia!" he bellowed. Neville copied him and no less than eight death eaters were blown off their feet including, to Harry's satisfaction, Stevens. By this time the Order were engaging with the death eaters, and they would have been evenly matched had it not been for the giants. They rampaged through their midst, their massive hands flailing wildly, and Harry was horrified to see Minerva McGonagall knocked off her feet.

"Harry!" yelled a voice Harry recognised as that of Bill Weasley, "wherever you are, take Neville and run! You're the one they're after!" Lifting the disillusionment charm to ensure that they weren't hit by the Order, the two of them ran. This however drew not only the attention of the death eaters, but also one of the giants, who looked very surprised to see them. Casting a quick shield bubble around them Harry and Neville pelted as fast and far as they could from the melee, but Harry found himself being slowed.

The ring on his hand was glowing a violent blood red, and was desperately trying to stop Harry from running. Neville and Harry both grabbed the ring and dragged it off his hand as the giant, Stevens and several other death eaters bore down on them. Acting on a subconscious instinct Harry threw the ring at them and it landed on the grass, where the giant trod on it.

The ground underneath the giant exploded with a deafening boom and all the wizards within twenty feet were blown off their feet. The giant, despite its enormous weight, was blasted ten feet into the air, shouting in pain, before it landed heavily with a sickening crunch on top of Stevens. Harry acted immediately.

"Phoenix Aniservia!" His body shrunk as golden feathers sprouted all over him. Harry grabbed Neville with his powerful claws and lifted him from the ground. Neville cast another patronus as a group of Dementors closed in, and Harry let out a loud, harsh cry as a signal to those below as he tore across the sky. He sat Neville down and transfigured back, as the Order retreated to the trees where they were, Hagrid bearing Minerva McGonagall on his broad shoulders.

"To the ministry!" yelled Arthur Weasley, "quickly now!" Without hesitation, Harry raised his wand, and apparated away from the moor.


	6. Chapter 6 Dumbledore's Story

Chapter 6 – Dumbledore's Story

Harry felt himself land in the ministry hallway, which had obviously had its apparition shield opened, to find himself surrounded by armed Aurors. As Mr Weasley and the rest of the Order appeared alongside him they lowered their wands, looking relieved. Harry looked around him.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood nearest, panting slightly, and further away were Neville, Mr Weasley, Charlie Holloway, Lucy O'Hur, Bill Weasley who had brought Hagrid and Professor McGonagall with him, Fred and George Weasley and, breathing heavily but his eyes never leaving Harry, Ron. Mr Weasley stepped forward.

"Harry!" he said concernedly, "Are you alright?"

"Spectacular," Harry murmured, his head hurting slightly, but he needed to keep talking. "Mr Weasley, they know where Voldemort is."

Harry had expected shock and the Aurors exchanged looks of horror, but Mr Weasley merely put a hand up to wipe his sweaty brow and sighed. "Albus expected something like this to happen," he said, his voice sounding tired and weary. "He's had the places where we believe the child could be Voldemort under guard, and upon your signal he told all of them to move the children away. They are being kept at St Mungo's at this very moment."

"I know which one it is," Harry said, his head still pulsating slightly. "It was the one being guarded by Aaron Shacklebolt, in a long terraced road." Mr Weasley nodded at Kingsley, who headed straight to one of the floo fireplaces before vanishing out of sight. Ron walked over and put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"You okay mate? Ginny and Hermione have been scared out of their minds, especially when Neville vanished too," he paused. "Me too actually." Harry gave him a small smile.

"I'm okay," he said, realising that Ron was guiding him towards the lifts with Mr Weasley and Neville. "Where are we heading?"

"Dad's office," Ron replied immediately. "Ginny and Hermione should be there when we arrive." Harry's spirits soared as the lift doors clanged shut and jolted upwards. After a few moments they emerged into a long, well lit corridor and headed straight to Mr Weasley's office, the door of which was flanked by two impressive looking Aurors.

"Are they inside Peter?" The Auror on the left nodded impassively. Arthur turned to Harry and Ron and gestured them inside, holding the door open. Harry entered the room as two people stood by the desk jumped, and Harry couldn't help but let out a laugh of relief as he embraced Ginny.

"Oh Harry!" she whispered feverishly, as if she couldn't quite believe it was him. "Oh you're alright!" Harry squeezed her wearily, before she stepped back to hug Neville, allowing Hermione to step forward.

"Well Hermione, it looks like you might have to start a new book," he whispered so that just she could hear, and she laughed. Mr Weasley let out a small cough.

"Albus will be here in a moment, and then I shall need you two to recount to your stories I'm afraid," he said slowly, gesturing them all into the soft armchairs in front of his desk, as at that very moment, Albus Dumbledore walked through the door. His eyes met Harry's and Harry saw that familiar sparkle that was so reassuring.

"Harry," he said, striding forward and shaking Harry carefully by the hand. "I am very glad to see you again."

"You know me Professor, I just like keeping people on their toes," he said looking calmly up at his old professor's aged face, and Harry saw his mouth twitch in amusement. The seven of them all took seats around Mr Weasley's desk, and Mr Weasley first turned his attention to Harry and Neville.

"I think we should hear your tale first," Mr Weasley nodded at the two of them. Harry related his entire story, starting with the ring pulling him through the Dark Mark, his waking up in a cell of stone deep underground and of Andromidus and Regalus Black. At this point he looked up at Dumbledore for a moment, who made a gesture which clearly meant "in a moment." Harry, with the help of Neville described the potion, what Harry had seen, and how they had escaped.

Dumbledore nodded appreciatively. "I will tell my story in a moment, but first I must congratulate the pair of you on an outstanding display of courage and ability. We are all most proud of you." Harry and Neville blushed and Dumbledore beamed at them, before continuing. "I suspect you have a few questions?" Harry nodded.

"Did you know about Regalus and Andromidus? Or about the Secret Elite?" Harry knew it was the most dangerous question to ask, and he knew it sounded accusatory, but it was also the one that pressed most heavily on his mind. Dumbledore let out a small sigh.

"I'm afraid that I did," he murmured, though his gaze never wavered. "I did not know that there were still so many nor so active, but I knew of their existence and I had my suspicions.

"I first became aware of the Secret Elite through Professor Snape. Despite what I believe they thought about him he knew that they were a real and potent threat to the Order and he investigated as much as he could before we found out that Regalus Black's death had been faked.

"As this was after Sirius had died I tried to contact him through the veil, but I have subsequently discovered that Godric was too ill to relay information at the time and, as we were beginning the raid on Azkaban the next week, I freely confess it was driven from my mind. I am sorry but I did not spare them another thought until that day at Twybrook Stadium." He let out a soft sigh. "A grave mistake I'm afraid, and one for which I apologise most sincerely."

"There's no need to apologise Professor," Neville said quickly. "None of us thought that there were any Death Eaters left."

"I thank you for words Mr Longbottom, but I'm afraid the apology must stand, as I was one of the very, very few who even knew about them, and so I must indeed stress how sorry I am." He adjusted himself in his chair.

"Whether you feel you need to apologise or not Albus is something which we do not need to take into account," Mr Weasley said abruptly. "We trust your judgement implicitly." Dumbledore smiled, and Harry could have sworn he saw a very small blush emerge on Dumbledore's cheek for a moment, but before he could be certain, Dumbledore had turned his attention to the group at large.

"Well now, I suppose you are all interested in what I was up to instead of joining in with the fight on the moor?" There were small signs of assent around the desk. "Very well. As most of you are aware I have been following the progress of several youngsters born on the day of Voldemort's demise, particularly those who seem to be displaying an aptitude for magic. I did not think it would be possible to bring Voldemort back from this point; it is something unheard of in magic, but the lengths at which Andromidus and Regalus have gone proves that, at the very least, the Secret Elite believe that it is possible. Therefore keeping the possible children under close scrutiny seems to have been a prudent move.

"So, I had various members of the Order and Aurors stationed near each of the six candidates that I felt fitted the bill, to use a muggle phrase." He gave Arthur a small smile. "It seems this was a sensible decision as, a minute or so before we received your alarm call, I received word from Aaron Shacklebolt that two unfamiliar and excited looking figures were approaching the building. Naturally I apparated there as soon as possible and, without alerting Andromidus and Regalus to our presence, we managed to move the mother and child to a safe location using side-along apparition. Needless to say I expect Andromidus and Regalus were disappointed."

"Where is the child now?" asked Mr Weasley, a small note of relief in his voice.

"He has been moved from St Mungo's and is currently staying with Aaron and Lucy Shacklebolt, with his mother staying in a hotel under the belief that her house is currently being restored after a water pipe broke. She believes her son is with her mother, but she does not feel the need to call and check." Dumbledore's mouth gave that familiar twitch of amusement, though Harry knew this time it was masking a twinge of sadness.

"What will happen to the child?" asked Hermione quietly, "he can't stay with Aaron and Lucy forever!"

"Quite right," Dumbledore affirmed, examining his long, slender fingers. "There is a small amount of debate as to what to do about that. There is obviously the view that keeping the child as far from that house as possible is the safest move and I can certainly see the sense of that. However there is the matter of people who know Mrs Hinks, the child's mother that is, will get very suspicious. This is particularly the case as she has started having meetings with a child psychiatrist, and we happen to know that he has advised her to set into a routine, and the idea of uprooting would be most surprising. I do not know how they would react to a sudden disappearance. I would value all of your opinions on this issue." He looked expectantly around the group. Harry was caught off guard, although evidently Ginny was not.

"He should remain with Aaron and Lucy," she said quickly, "The worst that could happen is that some people might fear she has gone missing and this can be covered by leaving a different voicemail message on her answer phone saying they've been forced to move away for a while for some reason... a family member in need or something."

"I have to agree," said Mr Weasley, turning his attention from his daughter to Dumbledore, "I think we can sufficiently cover for her being away. We could even make it seem like it was her who had the illness... a mental breakdown or something."

Dumbledore looked slightly crestfallen, but Harry sensed that he had resigned himself to this already. "I can't say I am overly fond of the idea, but I can certainly see the wisdom behind it. We will have to move Mrs Hinks to Aaron and Lucy's house as well, but I do not think we can keep them there indefinitely. We will move them to a house nearby where Aaron and Lucy can keep an eye on them. I will see to it immediately." Dumbledore gave a short nod to the group as he rose, before heading out the door. Having a sudden thought, Harry followed him.

"Professor," Harry called after him.

"Yes, Harry?" replied Dumbledore, turning to Harry. Harry took a breath.

"How safe is Godric's Hollow?" he asked quickly. Dumbledore's face creased slightly.

"With both Mr Ronald Weasley and yourself, thanks to Mr Pettigrew that is, acting as Secret Keepers, I would have thought that it would have been pretty safe especially, if you'll forgive me a moment's indulgence, as I provided the enchantment. May I ask why this issue is pressing on your mind?"

"Well," Harry said slowly, trying to choose his words carefully, "it is nothing to do with the strength of the charms... it's just that I'm worried about what Andromidus and Regalus said. They took Neville for looking out for Ginny. It was as if they knew exactly where she was." Harry paused. "It was as if they had seen her."

Dumbledore eyed Harry with those piercing blue eyes. "I see. Ginny will be returning to Hogwarts in a few weeks, am I correct?" Harry nodded. "Would you be more comfortable if you were in also in Hogwarts?"

Harry considered for a moment. "Would it be possible?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Of course Harry. You've earned any help the wizarding world can give."


	7. Chapter 7 Back At Hogwarts

Chapter 7 – Back at Hogwarts

"Harry," said Rose Walcot, drawing a quick-quotes quill out of her bag, "May I first say, on behalf of all of us at the Daily Prophet and the wizarding world at large, how very glad we all are to see you alright."

"Thanks," Harry replied, leaning back in his chair eyeing the quick-quotes quill warily. Rose smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm not like Rita, I like to keep to the facts if possible," she reassured Harry, who relaxed a little. "Now, the big question I suppose is a simple one: what happened at Twybrook?"

"Well," Harry started, frowning slightly, "I had just caught the snitch and I turned to see the Dark Mark shining below me. Then there was a deep booming voice who cast the summoning charm. The word it used was "Andromida", which apparently referred to the ring on my hand. My wedding ring." Rose leaned back and let out a low whistle, her quill rushing across the parchment on the coffee table.

"Your wedding ring?" she echoed him disbelievingly, "how do you know it was that? How could it have got there?" Harry deliberated for a moment, before deciding on the truth.

"I'll answer the second question first, and that is simply that we don't know. We are investigating whether there was a switch at some point or whether it was planted before the wedding. I can't say more about that I'm afraid. As for how I know it was that, it was simply because it was that ring that dragged me down and out of the stadium."

Rose nodded, obviously trying to imagine how that would have felt. "So you were summoned out of the stadium. Where did you wake up?"

Harry pictured the cell that had been his prison. "I awoke in a cell no bigger than this room we're currently in," he gestured around the room in which they were sat; a small study room on the first floor of the offices belonging to the Daily Prophet. "Sadly without the comfortable chairs... It was obviously deep underground; the walls were made of rock and had the feeling of having been hewn from the earth around it. The air also had that stale edge that any enclosed space develops. I eventually found out that it was on the lowest level of a series of tunnels that formed a sort of lair."

"And who was it who was in the lair? Your captors I mean." Rose leaned forwards slightly in anticipation of the answer.

"Death Eaters." Harry said it baldly, knowing full well the reaction it would elicit from the reporter opposite him, who did not disappoint with a gasp and a look conveying both shock and an element of fear. "A group of Death Eaters named the Secret Elite, a hidden group of wizards known to only a very select few of Voldemort's supporters." Rose surprised Harry by not giving the twitch the most people gave upon hearing Voldemort's name, but Harry supposed Voldemort's downfall had released some of the fear associated with it.

"What can you tell me about this "Secret Elite"?" she asked with a slight sense of hesitancy, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Well, I can give you two names, the two leaders of the Secret Elite; Andromidus and Regalus Black, cousin and brother respectively of Sirius Black," he said, and he couldn't help a small pang of sadness at the mention of Sirius. "My godfather."

"Sirius Black's relatives?" Rose repeated incredulously, her quill zipping from left to right across the parchment. Harry quickly explained most of what he knew about Andromidus and Regalus, leaving out only a few bits of information which Dumbledore had told him to keep to himself. He continued by explaining what had happened in the lair, about Neville and their escape. He concluded the interview as Dumbledore had instructed him.

"So," he said, adjusting himself slightly in his seat, "the main point for the wizarding world at large to remember is this: be vigilant. Although we do not think this group is as bad as Voldemort himself" [although Harry – thinking of Andromidus - knew this was possibly untrue] "they are still dangerous enough to require raised awareness. People must ensure that they inform the Aurors if anything unusual occurs, and must be on the lookout for any potential Death Eater activity. It could save your life." Harry knew that this last sentence was a bit too strong as soon as he'd said it, but it was too late to take it back, and so he tried to rectify it. "That said, the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix are well placed and will act to their usual high standards in protecting the wizarding world."

"Well Harry, thank you for taking the time to talk to the Daily Prophet and once again, we all very glad to see you safe and sound," Rose said, though Harry sensed that she was dictating to her quill as much as to him. He thanked her anyway and shook her hand before leaving the room. Once outside the building, a vast stone edifice set against a backdrop of rolling Yorkshire countryside, he apparated back to Hogsmeade.

*

Later that afternoon Harry strode up the sweeping Hogwarts lawn overlooking the lake, the forest skirting the far side. He felt it odd that there were no students around in such a bright summer day, before reminding himself that the term was not due to start for almost a week. He had been summoned to see Professor Dumbledore to discuss, Harry assumed, living arrangements to be made. Before the doors to the entrance hall even became in sight, a deep voice boomed his name from the edge of the forest.

"HARRY!" he turned to see Hagrid jogging towards him, Fang bounding ahead. Harry braced himself for impact as Fang jumped towards him licking furiously, before Hagrid gently brushed Fang aside and then caught Harry in a not-so-gentle hug.

"Dozy dog," he said, pulling away with a broad smile on his face. "How've yeh been?"

Harry surreptitiously rubbed his aching chest. "Not bad thanks Hagrid, just coming up to see Professor Dumbledore."

"Yeah, he did mention you were coming," said Hagrid looking excited. "Moving back to Hogwarts?"

Harry couldn't help but smile back, rolling his eyes slightly. He looked up at the familiar turrets towering above him, a warm glow of safety and memories bubbling inside him. "Yes, I think so. Not sure staying at Godric's Hollow is very wise at the moment, after what happened with Neville."

"Aye," Hagrid agreed, nodding sagely, "I was a bit shaken by that myself. Good kid, Neville."

"Definitely," Harry replied, turning his gaze back to Hagrid. "Not sure where I'll be staying yet."

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore's got sommat planned for you," Hagrid said conspiratorially, and Harry suspected that Hagrid already knew what was going on. He tapped his nose softly before saying goodbye, retreating with Fang back towards his cabin beside the lake. Harry, shaking his head slightly in amusement, proceeded up towards the castle.

He followed the somewhat familiar route from the Entrance Hall towards Dumbledore's office. His footsteps echoed around the walls, a sound Harry would once have found eerie, but now seemed reassuring. He reached the stone gargoyles that flanked the entrance towards Dumbledore's office.

"Rock cakes," he said clearly to the gargoyles, remembering with a smile the password Dumbledore had given him. The pathway opened ahead of him and he moved on to the spiral staircase, which slowly carried him up to the headmaster's office. He knocked on the thick wooden door.

"Come in," Professor Dumbledore's voice filtered through the door, and Harry walked into the office. Dumbledore was sat behind his desk, eyes dancing behind those half-moon glasses. "Welcome, welcome," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk, "I trust your interview went well?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied, though his stomach gave a tiny lurch of guilt. "I think I may have said something a bit... err..."

"Heavy?" supplied Dumbledore, a knowing smile on his face. "Do not worry, I already have read a copy of the interview, sent to me by Ms Walcot, and I can assure you that you have said nothing amiss. What you have said will set people on the alert, whilst the ending comment about the Aurors will prevent a panic. You have nothing to worry about."

Harry relaxed in his chair. The office was the same as always; portraits hanging around the walls (some of whose occupants were listening in); the spindly silver instruments that sat on Dumbledore's desk; and the beautiful Phoenix perched on top of a rail beside the desk. Fawkes was obviously in the prime of his life cycle, and he swooped down and sat upon Harry's knee. Harry stroked him absentmindedly.

"He has always been rather fond of you hasn't he?" observed Dumbledore, smiling gently at Harry. "He does not do that for many people." Harry's cheeks flushed a bit, and Dumbledore smiled yet more widely.

"Well Harry, I suspect you wish to know as to what living arrangements you and Mrs Potter shall be using this year?" Harry nodded, the words "Mrs Potter" sending a thrill through his body, despite the fact that he had heard them many times before. Dumbledore smiled at Harry, and continued. "Well, Mrs Potter must stay in the Gryffindor tower, having missed last year I fear not putting her back would distance her from her classmates. I am afraid, however, that I do not think you should sleep in there. The fact that you are not studying yet are staying in Gryffindor tower would arouse much curiosity both within and without Hogwarts, and I think would act as too much of a distraction to the students."

"So where will I be staying?" Harry asked, a bit crestfallen. Dumbledore gave him a knowing smile before rising to his feet.

"Let us go and find out shall we?" he gestured towards the door. Puzzled, Harry opened the door and allowed Dumbledore to pass through, before following him out onto the spiral staircase. At the bottom of the spiral staircase Dumbledore led Harry through the winding Hogwarts corridors down towards the entrance hall. Before Harry could ask where they were going, Dumbledore had opened the main gates and was striding out onto the lawn. He paused on a patch of grass overlooking the lake, and extended a long finger ahead of him towards the far side of the golden water, upon which the reflection of the setting sun danced energetically in the giant-squid-induced ripples. Dumbledore let out a soft cough as he gestured forward.

"There is a small hut set on the other side of the lake," said Dumbledore, smiling and inclining his head at Harry. "If you should so wish, may I suggest that you assist Hagrid with his game-keeping duties? I am sure he would be most glad of your assistance." Harry grinned, but he thought he could spot a small flaw in Dumbledore's logic.

"Sir," he said slowly, choosing his words with care, "if people were going to be curious inside and outside Hogwarts if I stayed inside Gryffindor tower, why would they be less curious if I stayed here? Surely my position here would still arouse curiosity?" Dumbledore smiled.

"If you are living out here Harry, the pretext can be given that you have volunteered to help Hagrid, whereas inside the castle this impression would evaporate very quickly." He gave Harry a small wink. "Though I do not doubt that there will be some curiosity." He conjured two chairs out of the air and he and Harry sat down overlooking the magnificent Hogwarts scenery.

"Now Harry," said Dumbledore in a business like tone, "there is another topic upon which I would like your opinion." Harry sat up a little straighter in his chair. "If you will consent, I would like it for you to take private lessons with me again this year."

Harry, who had not been expecting this at all, shifted in his seat. "What type of lessons Professor?" Dumbledore considered the end of his long, slender fingers as if seeing them for the first time.

"I would like to teach you to communicate with the next realm," he said simply, moving his gaze from his fingers to Harry's eyes. "Recent events have shown that, not only do we need to communicate with people such as Sirius more often to gather information, but also that my mind is not quite what it used to be. My mistake in forgetting the Secret Elite was a grave one, one which I do not think I would have made had I been a few years younger."

"It was perfectly understandable sir," Harry responded quickly, slightly alarmed at the sense of his own weakness that Dumbledore seemed to be feeling. "I don't blame you; there was a lot going on at the time." Dumbledore let out a soft sigh.

"I thank you for your kind words," said Dumbledore, with that ominous air of imminent and disagreeing finality in his voice, "but I cannot accept that reasoning. The fault lies with me and it is almost entirely for that reason that I should teach you how to correspond with the world of the dead. Understand me Harry, I am not afraid of death, nor do I feel that old age is going to directly be my downfall anytime soon. However I must admit that it has slowed me; slowed my reactions. I am not convinced that a duel with Andromidus or Regalus would result in victory."

Harry was terrified. He had never, in all his years of knowing Dumbledore, ever heard him sound so pessimistic. Everything with Dumbledore had always been positive; the encouragement and overwhelming sense of caring which he always exuded had somehow been flattened, and the feeling of doubt which Harry was now witnessing and hearing scared him more than anything he had ever faced in his life.

"Professor..." he said, trying to form a reassuring sentence but finding himself incapable of speech. Dumbledore seemed to understand.

"I am sorry Harry," he said with a wistful smile at Harry; some of the old sparkle back in his eye, "that must have sounded terribly defeatist. I will let you go down and see your cabin, I think I can see Hagrid waiting for you." And without another word, he swept away towards the castle, leaving Harry sitting in stunned silence.


	8. Chapter 8 Doom Mongering

I would really appreciate some reviews now! I don't think many people are reading this, which is a shame, but for those who are reviews would be gratefully received! Thanks.

Chapter 8 - Doom Mongering

Harry sat stock still for several minutes, unable to swallow the conversation he had just had. The unabashed pessimism was so unlike Dumbledore that Harry suddenly felt very afraid. A sense of abandonment crept over him along with, (and Harry hated himself for feeling it), anger that Dumbledore could show such weakness in times such as these. Dumbledore was the only one Voldemort ever feared, and now it seemed Andromidus was the only one Dumbledore feared. Or was it Voldemort he was afraid of? Either way, Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment mingling with his fear and he turned away from where Dumbledore had entered the hall and strode off around the side of the lake, vanishing the chairs as he left.

It was not long before his new lodgings came into view. Hagrid was standing, waving and beckoning with his massive hands, next to a small cottage a little larger than Hagrid's own. It was the sort of cottage found on a postcard Harry thought to himself; the front door stood directly in the middle of the front of the house, with two windows placed symmetrically either side of it. A small garden was laid in front of it and there was even a small chimney protruding from the roof. All thoughts of Dumbledore gone, a wide smile spread across Harry's face as he ran the last few metres to the cottage placed next to Hagrid's own cabin.

"What... when... how?" questions tumbled from Harry's mouth, a torrent of surprise and disbelief echoed in the unbidden words that rose from his lips. Hagrid beamed at him.

"Dumbledore helped me build them yesterday," said Hagrid, gesturing proudly at his pink umbrella. "What do you reckon?"

"Well – blimey – I don't know what to say!" Harry let out a joyous laugh, and Hagrid's smile widened as he beckoned Harry towards the front door and held it open. Harry looked at Hagrid for a moment, grinning from ear to ear, before crossing the threshold into the cottage.

The first room Harry entered was obviously a living room, which merged into a kitchen further back. Although it was not big, it did not feel cramped. Indeed, the size gave the cottage a certain level of cosiness, an effect emphasised by the quaint wooden fireplace on the side of the living room. Hagrid raised his umbrella and small flames danced into being, casting flickering light across the rest of the room. The kitchen was kitted much like Hagrid's; with pots and pans and a kettle being the sole cooking appliances, with oven gloves, ladles, plates and other cutlery also hanging from a rack along the wall. Evidently the main cooking would be done upon that fireplace, and Harry wondered whether there would be enough room for Dobby or Winky to stay. Pushing this thought to one side for a moment Harry explored the rest of the cottage, a pastime that did not take long. There were two other rooms: a small bedroom which somehow had a double bed crammed into it but with little else; and an even smaller bathroom, with a toilet and shower somehow fitted into the tightly enclosed space.

Harry turned to face Hagrid. "It's wonderful," he said, striding forward and giving Hagrid a hug, which he soon regretted as the half-giant returned his embrace with interest. "How can I thank you?"

Hagrid blushed behind his bushy beard. "Think nuthin' of it, alrigh'?" he said, looking at the floor. "You can give me a hand with me game keeping duties if you'd like?" Harry nodded, and Hagrid beamed at him, before his expression changed to the one Harry had grown to fear: that of enlightened fervour. Harry associated this look with Hagrid's large and usually dangerous creature friends. He was not disappointed in his apprehension, but he couldn't help but be relieved when Hagrid expanded upon his demeanour.

"Would you like to come and see Grawpy?" he said excitedly, "he's loads better now; capable of holding his own in a conversation an' everythin'!" Grawp, Hagrid's half brother, was unlike any of Hagrid's other wild creature obsessions, in that he had the capacity to learn. This thought made Harry smile slightly as he remembered the Blast Ended Skrewts, and he relaxed. Compared to those, Grawp was positively tame.

Hagrid led Harry out of the house and into the forest. "I tell yer," he said happily as they progressed into the forest, "he'll be happy to see yer. I think he's missed Hermione a bit, may see if I can get her down soon. He can even say her name now!" Hagrid was obviously very proud of his half-brother. "Mine too!" he added.

It was not long before Harry could hear the crunch of large feet, but as they emerged into the clearing Harry was surprised to see that he was not the only one to have new accommodation. An enormous heap of earth had been piled to form a small mountain sticking out of the ground. The earth had obviously been excavated from underneath where the new hill was placed; the cave mouth was set lower into the ground than where Harry and Hagrid now stood, as Grawp the giant lumbered into view from the forest on the far side of the clearing.

"HAGRID," Grawp said in his booming voice, and Harry was impressed by the improvement in Grawp's language and pronunciation abilities. Grawp seemed to spot Harry and a wide smile cracked across his earthen face. "HARRY?"

"'Ello Grawpy!" Hagrid exclaimed, obviously delighted by Grawp's recognition of Harry and himself. "I've brought Harry Potter to see yer!" He leant towards Harry. "Say hello then!"

"Hello Grawp!" Harry half-shouted up towards the giant. He puzzled for a moment, wondering what to say to a giant. "How are you?" Grawp's earthy, weather-beaten face creased into an even more pronounced grin; Harry knew instantly that Grawp had understood every word he had said.

"GRAWP IS GOOD!" He said and Hagrid looked at him proudly, before giving him a kick with his foot. Grawp shook his head with a sense of remorse that was as unexpected to Harry as it was emphatic. "HOW IS HARRY?" He looked fairly depressed that he had not remembered this personally, and Harry took it upon himself to cheer him up.

"I'm very well Grawp, thanks!" Harry replied loudly. "That was very kind of you to ask!" Hagrid and Grawp both beamed at him, before Hagrid waved goodbye to Grawp and Harry followed him back out of the forest.

"Thanks fer tha'," Hagrid patted Harry heavily on the back. "That really made his day, I can tell." Harry made it-was-nothing gestures as Hagrid led him back out of the forest. "Listen," he continued, his voice sounding suddenly serious, "I know you'd rather be in Godric's Hollow righ' now, but Dumbledore'll look after yer. You'll be home in no time." And with an almighty clap on the shoulder, Hagrid turned and headed back into the forest.

*

The evening that Hogwarts reopened was one of the most surreal that Harry could remember. As the sun began to set at the end of a mild summer day, Harry watched from his hut as first thestral-drawn carts began to trace the far side of the lake. A moment later, lit by hovering lanterns which gleamed softly across the dusk light, small boats began to swarm across the lake. Harry watched with a strong feeling of nostalgia as, weighed down by his huge weight, Hagrid led the first boat into the cavern which Harry knew contained the first set of Hogwarts steps. It had been there where he and Ron had first met Professor McGonagall and Draco Malfoy. Harry would never have guessed from that moment that he and Malfoy would end up as good friends as they were now. With a small smile to himself he headed out of his front door and up towards the castle.

He watched as the last set of students entered the large front doors before following them inside. He was still a little unsure and surprised about Dumbledore's insistence that he attend the sorting ceremony and opening feast. He supposed Dumbledore thought that, since they would find out anyway, it would be best if they all found out at the same time, right at the beginning of term. He pushed open the thick oak doors and found himself in the entrance hall, where, seconds later, he found himself in the embrace of Ginny.

"You took your time!" she said, smiling broadly at him. "I was about to go in!" Harry laughed as he led her towards the great hall.

"I think I'm sitting up on the staff table," Harry said, a hint of apology in his voice. Ginny obviously noticed this as she nodded understandingly without question. "I'll see you in a bit." She kissed him softly on the cheek before turning and heading into the hall. Harry, ignoring the front entrance, took the corridor around the hall, past the small chamber where he could hear the nervous buzzing of the first years, until finally he was standing in line with the end of the staff table. As he looked along it, he saw a familiar face smiling and beckoning towards him.

"Hermione?" Harry said, surprised. "I thought you weren't starting for a few weeks?"

Hermione beamed at him, though Harry thought he could note a trace of apprehension hidden within her wide smile. "Hello Harry!" She drew back the chair between herself and Professor Hilier, who also gave Harry a wide smile.

"Good evening Harry," said Professor Hilier, embracing him and giving him a kiss on the cheek, "I trust you like your new lodgings?"

"Very much," Harry replied enthusiastically, "I couldn't believe Dumbledore and Hagrid did that for me!"

Professor Hilier leaned closer in a secretive manner. "I was just telling Hermione – sorry, Professor Granger" [Hermione gave a small shiver at this title] "that Dumbledore is giving Hagrid magic lessons! He and the minister have agreed that, since his expulsion was an unfair one, he should be allowed to learn!" Professor Hilier's smile widened, though now there was a small hint of amusement creeping in. "Though they also decided that letting Dumbledore teach him privately would probably be the best idea, they've already arranged for him to get a new wand soon!"

Harry leaned back in his chair, amazed. He had never really thought about the fact that Hagrid was forbidden to do magic, he was so used to Hagrid's use of his pink umbrella that all thoughts of the Chamber of Secrets and Aragog had been driven from his mind. Now he thought about it though, he thought letting Hagrid learn magic was the only fair thing to do, although he agreed with Mr Weasley and Professor Hilier that letting Dumbledore teach him was probably the safest way forward. He turned back to Hermione.

"So what made you decide to start early?" he asked.

"Two things really," said Hermione, straightening up and giving the hall a slightly nervous glance. "Firstly, Professor Grubby-Plank fell ill and so would have been unable to teach, and secondly, I guess I had been working so hard on the lessons that I wouldn't have needed to wait any longer!"

Harry gave raised his eyebrows slightly. "And how was Ron about this?" Hermione's face seemed to fall a little bit.

"I think it took him a while to adjust to the idea, mainly because we would be apart so often," she said slowly, obviously choosing her words with care, "but I've spoken to Dumbledore and he'll be able to.." she blushed and trailed off.

"Come and stay here occasionally?" Harry finished for her. Hermione nodded shyly, and Harry laughed, though he felt a little awkward in doing so.

He was saved the effort of redirecting the conversation by the arrival from one of the side rooms of the new first years. The evening had been a clear one so none had arrived as soaked as Dennis Creevey had all those years ago. They congregated at the corner of the staff table, and Harry couldn't help but be amazed by how small they were.

Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the students with the battered sorting hat on top of it. As the hat burst into song, Harry was prodded by Professor Hilier, who passed him a note. Harry opened it up to reveal a short note in Dumbledore's familiar slanting handwriting. He quickly glanced up and met Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes. Dumbledore gave him a small wink and nodded at the note in Harry's hands. Harry turned his attention to the piece of parchment and began to read.

_"Dear Harry,_

_I just wish to send this note as an apology for our conversation earlier. There is no excuse for my tone and pessimism, and I hope you can forgive me for letting my anxieties overbear on our talk. I apologise sincerely, and look forward to seeing you at our next meeting. If Friday night at 8 o'clock is possible, please let me know by return owl. Alternatively, just pass the note back along the table._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Albus Dumbledore._

_PS. My fondness for Honeydukes is as great as ever."_

Harry smiled and immediately passed the note back along the table to Dumbledore. Dumbledore smiled broadly at him, before turning his attention to the end of the sorting. As the last student was sorted, the headmaster got to his feet.

"Good evening students!" he said jovially, his arms spread wide in that familiar, welcoming gesture. "To new students, hello! To old students, hello again! I hope you all had a good summer." His bright eyes swept the hall. "Now before the feast begins, I have two new staff members to introduce. Firstly, dear Professor McGonagall has decided that the time is right to retire, so it is my great pleasure to introduce a recent pupil as the new transfiguration teacher. Please give a warm welcome to Professor Hermione Granger." The hall, led by a particularly vocal group of older Gryffindors including Ginny, burst into applause which Dumbledore matched enthusiastically. Harry pointed her wand at her and burst out laughing as, much to her surprise, Hermione rose to her feet. Looking mortified, Hermione gave an embarrassed wave to the students before sitting down.

"You git!" she whispered at him, but there was a smile of evident relief on her face at the warm welcome she had received. Dumbledore waited for quiet to fall.

"This year we also have the privilege of having one of Miss Granger's classmates helping around the school as a general assistant, particularly for Professor Hagrid, Professor Hilier and Professor Granger. Please put your hands together for Harry Potter."

Having nicked Hermione's wand a moment before to save himself the same treatment, Harry was amazed as he found himself too standing up as he received an even bigger round of applause. Looking around, he saw none other than Professor Dumbledore's wand aimed at him from behind his back, with Hermione and Professor Hilier sat next to him shaking with laughter. Grinning along the table and waving at the students, Harry sat down, shaking his head in disbelief at Dumbledore's trick.

Giving Harry another of his small winks, Dumbledore turned his attention back to the waiting students. "Well, after those new staff announcements I must remind all students as to the banned items list, which can be found outside Mr Filch's office. Otherwise, the only thing left to say is dig in!" There was the usual appreciative laughter as the tables in front of them filled with food.

"The house elves have out done themselves this year!" said Professor Hilier, still with an expression of repressed mirth on her face. Harry looked around for the expected Hermione complaint, but was surprised as he didn't receive one. Noting Harry's surprised look, Hermione lowered her fork, swallowing a mouthful of Yorkshire pudding.

"I spoke to Professor Dumbledore, and he has said I can talk to the house elves," she said, a smug look of satisfaction on her face. "I'll have to take it slowly, but I think I'll be able to make an impression on them." Harry rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.

The rest of the meal was spent discussing either Hermione's class schedules or Harry's lodgings, although Harry readily volunteered his help teaching if necessary. His experiences with the D.A. had made him far more comfortable with the prospect of teaching, and he was also pretty sure that he would not have huge amounts of stuff to do.

*

Over the next couple of days, he was proved right. Whilst he occasionally went into the forest with Hagrid, he found himself often just walking or flying round the grounds. He took advantage of his freedom to perform magic and his new work in the forbidden forest to explore further than he had even in his school days.

Transforming into a phoenix, or occasionally a thestral or hippogriff, Harry would take hours first above, and then within the forest, but also up beyond the reach of the marauders map, going further out of Hogsmeade in one direction, and leaving the lake trailing behind him in the other. He also found time, using his invisibility cloak, to locate the common rooms for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw: the Hufflepuff common room being a little further beyond the kitchens; and the Ravenclaw common room being, (as Harry had found slightly obvious), up in Ravenclaw tower, behind a magnificent portrait of Hogwarts itself.

By the time Friday night came around Harry felt he had explored more of the grounds themselves in those few days then he had in his six and a half years at Hogwarts. Harry and Dumbledore had conversed very briefly on the possibility of Harry sitting his N.E.W.T.s the previous year but, much to Harry's relief, Dumbledore decided that Harry's achievements out of school would ensure that he would never struggle to get a job, and that Harry should only sit them if he wanted to. Harry had not even needed to answer this question verbally, before the conversation had turned to Professor McGonagall's retirement.

Now however, he was going to see Dumbledore for a completely different reason. So Dumbledore wanted to teach him how to communicate with the next realm. Pushing the slightly morbid reasoning to one side for a moment, he pondered the consequences of this. He would be able to talk to Godric, Sirius, and Lupin... but most of all, he could talk to his parents again. It was fantastic to talk to the portrait he had in his room, but this was different. This would be his actual parents.

He arrived outside Dumbledore's office and, remembering the letter, addressed the gargoyle. "Honeydukes," he said, and he couldn't help a small smile creeping across his face. He stepped forward onto the already moving staircase and a moment later he found himself facing the familiar golden office door. Before he could knock, the door opened, and Harry found himself facing Mr Weasley.

"Harry!" said Mr Weasley jovially, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "Albus said you would be coming up around now. How are you settling in?"

"I'm settling in fine Mr Weasley," Harry replied, eyeing Mr Weasley carefully. Despite the outward portrayal of calmness and being carefree, he looked tired. Lines of anxiety creased his face, and there were dark smudges hanging beneath his weary eyes. He gave Harry a smile that looked to Harry like it had cost him a lot of effort, before squeezing past Harry, shutting the door behind him.

"He's had a lot of work to do recently." Dumbledore's voice was grave as Harry came and sat in front of the desk. "Andromidus and Regalus seem to have been rather active."

"How so?" This news caught Harry, who had not heard much regarding the Secret Elite since he had returned to Hogwarts, very much off guard, and he sat up straighter in his seat. Dumbledore rested his arms on the desk between them.

"There have been disappearances," Dumbledore sighed wearily. "Disappearances like when Voldemort was last in power. There haven't been attacks on muggles yet, but there's been a couple of people who've just vanished. Elizabeth Brown hasn't been seen for three days." His face fell. "I suppose the only upside is Remus is not around to see this." He sighed heavily. "Not exactly a huge bonus." Harry couldn't think of any thing to say to this, but after a few moments of silence Dumbledore coughed and turned his gaze to Harry.

"Well, you didn't come here to listen to such sad tidings," he said, examining his long slender fingers. "We are here to discuss how to converse with the next realm. Hopefully, in a few weeks, you will be able to talk with Godric and, therefore, your parents." Dumbledore's face relaxed slightly and Harry felt that aura of calm descend again. "Sadly, unlike Occlumancy and Legilimancy, this is not something I can donate to you. It requires all forms of magic: wand movement; incantation; focus and, most importantly, a magical object."

Harry was surprised. "Any magical object?"

Dumbledore smiled. "No, not just any magical object I'm afraid. It requires – " Dumbledore's sentence was cut short as Fawkes disappeared in a flash of fire. Dumbledore got to his feet immediately and, before Harry could ask what was going on, Fawkes reappeared, bearing a message. Dumbledore, in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of the Goblet of Fire in his fourth year, plucked the scroll out of the air and scanned it quickly. He placed it down on his desk before pointing his wand at a chocolate frog sat wrapped up on his desk.

"Portus," he murmured quietly. "Come here Harry."

Harry stepped forward. "Where are we going?"

"In a moment Harry, now place your finger on the portkey..." Dumbledore placed his own hand on the chocolate frog. "One... Two... Three!" Harry felt that familiar pull and, in a flash of howling wind and light, he and Dumbledore landed softly on a patch of grass. Harry looked up as Dumbledore helped him to his feet, the back door of Godric's Hollow already open. Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared, and they followed him inside.


	9. Chapter 9 Approaching The Lair

Thanks for those who have reviewed, I'll put two chapters up in a row I think…

Chapter 9 - Approaching The Lair

Harry followed Dumbledore and Kingsley into the living room, which was full of people, so full in fact, that several people were sat on the floor. Mad-Eye Moody was sat in the armchair in the corner where, to Harry's slight revulsion, he was washing his eye in a glass of water; Aaron and Lucy were sat on the sofa with Minerva McGonagall; Charlie Holloway, Arthur, Bill and Charlie Weasley were sat on dining room chairs; the twins, Ron and Hermione were sat on the floor; and, dwarfing over them all, Hagrid was stood in the corner. As Harry and Dumbledore arrived, silence fell and Aaron offered his seat up to Dumbledore, which he declined with a wave of his hand.

"It seems we are the last ones here Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. Harry was momentarily distracted by Dobby, who had walked into the door frame and managed to drop his tray of drinks. Winky appeared and helped him up, whilst Dobby looked mortified, but before Harry could console him, Mad-Eye Moody had cleared his throat.

"Well Albus," he said, casually popping his eye back in his socket, (Ron made a face at Harry which thankfully Moody missed), "now that you're here, we can get started. Charlie, if you could repeat to everyone what you told me a few minutes ago."

Charlie Holloway cleared his throat, frowning slightly. "Well," he started, obviously dredging up from his memory with a bit of effort, "I was in the Leaky Cauldron after work, and there were some heavily robed wizards in the corner. I didn't think this was too unusual and I sat in the next booth to have my dinner. I was about to leave when I heard a name. "Andromidus"." There was a collective intake of breath around the room.

"What was said next?" asked Bill Weasley.

"His companion chided him for using his name aloud, and soon they left, but just before they did, they said they were heading back to the moor. They said that Number One had asked for them to reconvene and that it was safe to go back..." he trailed off, looking a bit wary. "That was all I heard."

"Is there any chance that they were saying this as a trap?" asked Aaron, his booming voice bearing more than a passing resemblance to his father's.

Charlie shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean, technically it's always possible, but neither of them saw me enter and they were speaking in very hushed voices; far too conspiratorial to be a trap."

"If they were speaking so quietly how could you over hear them?" The question was from Professor McGonagall, but Harry had been thinking the very same thing.

"The amplification charm," said Charlie simply.

"Err... what's the amplification charm?" Ron asked, looking a bit embarrassed to be asking such a question in the company they were in. "Does it make things louder?"

"Not exactly," answered Mr Weasley. "It means that the caster can hear what is being said as if it were being said by a person sat next to him, although to the outside world it doesn't sound any louder."

"It's sort of how our extendable ears work, although you can hear it a bit louder," George added, and Ron nodded comprehendingly.

"When're we going?" Hagrid asked, leaning on the edge of Bill's chair, which creaked ominously. Hagrid let go, an apologetic look on his face, and Bill looked somewhat relieved.

"Who said we were going?" Mad-Eye growled from the corner. "I don't like it one bit. I think it's a trap."

"What're you talkin' about?" Hagrid half-shouted, causing Ron to jump. "We can catch 'em off guard see! You heard Charlie, how could it be a trap?" There were murmurs of assent around the room, and Harry was surprised about how many people were agreeing with Hagrid over Mad-Eye.

"What do you think Harry?" Hermione asked, catching Harry completely off-guard. The group turned its attention to him.

"Err..." Harry started, considering what had been said whilst trying to ignore everyone's piercing looks, "I'm sorry Hagrid but I've got to agree with Ma- Alastor." Hagrid looked crestfallen, and Harry quickly tried to pass the buck and so he addressed Dumbledore. "Professor, what do you think?"

Dumbledore did not answer straight away. He took off his half-moon glasses and tapped them with his wand. They instantly became clean, and he put them back on, though he remained silent, evidently deep in thought. Harry had just got to the point where he was going to check if Dumbledore had heard him, when he addressed the group.

"You'll have to forgive me Alastor; Harry, but I must agree with Hagrid," Dumbledore stated simply, and Hagrid's chest swelled with pride. "I do not think they would know they had been overheard, nor would they have any idea as to when we would be arriving. This said, we must obviously be careful. I will bring Fawkes in case we need to apparate someone out quickly and they still have the apparition net up. Do not worry Alastor."

The look on Mad-Eye's face made it obvious that he was not content with the decision. "What about Potter?" he said, more than a trace of annoyance in his voice.

"What abou' him?" Hagrid asked angrily..

"_If," _Mad-Eye started, placing a lot of emphasis on the word, "we are to go to the moor, should Potter be coming with us?"

"I think that should be up to Harry," Mr Weasley intervened, sensing Hagrid firing up again. "Would you want to come?"

Harry looked anywhere but at Mad-Eye or Hagrid. "I'm still not sure we should be going at all. But if we are going, I want to come to." The last sentence came out a bit more defiantly than Harry intended, but he looked to Dumbledore for the final decision.

"If Harry wants to come, we can't really stop him Alastor," Dumbledore said calmly, "but if it would set your mind at ease you can plan how we will act." Harry sensed a note of pleading mixed in with the finality of this statement, which Alastor obviously noted too, for he assented a moment later.

"Okay," he growled, shooting an angry look at Hagrid, "if we're going to go, we need to scout out the place first. Now, the best way of doing that is from the air, so I want to send in four people on brooms: two to go around the outside together, and two to go across the centre."

"We'll go," said Fred straight away, indicating himself and George.

"Me too," said Harry, sharing a quick glance with Ron, who nodded. "And Ron."

Mad-Eye nodded. "Fair enough. I know you four are experienced with brooms, but don't get overconfident. You see any sign of something amiss you get back to the group. You two" [he indicated Fred and George] "can go across the middle, and you two" [he pointed at Harry and Ron] "can go around the outside. Once the scouting has been done, I suggest we all move rapidly. We can borrow some invisibility cloaks from the Auror department, and move straight across the middle, with Potter and the three Weasleys flying above to keep lookout. Once we're there, spells are to be to stun and capture: not kill. Understood?"

Harry nodded along with the others. He couldn't help but smile inwardly as he remembered his lessons in his fourth year. "CONSTANT VIGILLANCE!" Even though it had not been the real Mad-Eye who'd said it, the phrase fitted with Mad-Eye's personality and approach to life exactly.

"I'll go and get the cloaks and brooms," said Kingsley in his deep booming voice.

"I'll go with you," said Mr Weasley, getting to his feet. He and Kingsley left the room and a few moments later Harry heard two cracks from outside.

*

Within a few short minutes, everyone was ready. Kingsley had brought back enough cloaks for everyone, and Mr Weasley had collected brooms for Ron, Fred and George. Harry had summoned his from Hogwarts and it had appeared instantly, a feat Hermione had watch with a mixture of surprise and envy. She had never been happy with Harry's gaining magical power from the Chasm of Life, and when, in the process of writing Harry's autobiography, she had found out about the Golden Room, she had stormed out altogether, and hadn't returned until Ron threatened to suggest to Fred and George to use Hermione's bedroom as a testing space.

When he was satisfied about the preparation, Mad-Eye signalled for them to apparate. Exchanging a glance with Ron, Harry pictured the edge of the moor and apparated from Godric's Hollow. A moment later he found himself in a glade next to Fred, who gave him a wink.

"Potter; Weasley's," Mad-Eye addressed them, holding a Cleansweep out to Ron, who took it warily. "You know where you're going. Do not delay, come straight back." Harry nodded, mounting his broom. With a nod at Ron, Harry swept the invisibility cloak over the pair of them, and they took off.

"Let's go that way," said Ron gesturing off to the right. They took off, circling the edge of the moor. After a few minutes they found themselves on the furthest side of the moor from where they had started. Harry heard Fred's voice not far off. Checking the coast was clear, he pulled his wand out from under his cloak, and sent up some green sparks. A moment later, Fred and George emerged from under their cloak. Harry and Ron removed theirs and they alighted on the ground.

"Can you hear that?" Fred asked softly, straining his ears into the forest. There was a loud crunching noise.

"Back on the brooms," said George quickly, "here, tie our cloaks together." They quickly knotted the corners of the invisibility cloaks together so that they were able to fly as a group of four. Rising slowly off the ground, they gently moved over the top of the nearest tree. It was all Harry could do not to fall off his broom.

"Giants!" Ron hissed. There was one, at least twenty foot high, stood barely ten metres ahead. Behind him were four other giants, sat lazily around a large fire. Gesturing backwards, Harry led the four of them back down to the ground out of earshot.

"Listen, you two go back and warn the others, Ron and I will continue our circuit." Harry watched Fred and George mount their brooms and take off, pulling the invisibility cloak over them as they headed back over the moor. Harry and Ron did likewise, carrying on their tour around the edge of the moor.

"Well, I think that means they're still here," Ron said nervously, "Why else would the Giants be here?" Harry did not answer. The Giants presence had, if anything, doubled his suspicions. He couldn't help but agree with Mad-Eye: the chances of the Secret Elite returning to a hide-out they knew was compromised seemed to Harry to be slim at best. It was at this moment that Ron and Harry finished their loop of the moor, to find Fred and George had just finished their briefing on the Giants. Mad-Eye turned to Harry and Ron as they pulled off their invisibility cloaks.

"Did you see anything?" He said in his customary low growl. "Apart from the Giants?" Harry and Ron shook their heads, but Harry had another thought. He turned to face Charlie Holloway.

"Charlie," he said, doing his best to keep his tone level, "I was just wondering... what did you have for dinner at The Leaky Cauldron?"

"Why does that matter?" he said, his expression strangely blank. Mad-Eye cottoned on very quickly.

"Good thinking Potter," he nodded at Harry, before turning back to Charlie. "What did you eat? How many people were in the pub?"

Charlie paused for a moment. "I can't remember... but why does it matter?" Mad-Eye cursed under his breath.

"Damn you Holloway," he said in an undertone, "and well done Potter. Holloway, you're an Auror, and unless you didn't learn anything in training, the first thing you would have done is taken in your surroundings. The likelihood of you not knowing what was around you is not very high."

"What are you saying Alastor?" Mr Weasley asked concernedly.

"He is saying," Dumbledore answered, speaking up for the first time, "that either Charlie is under the imperious curse, or that he had a memory implanted in his head." Dumbledore pressed his wand to Charlie's head and closed his eyes. When he looked up, his expression was that of concern.

"His memories restart only a few minutes ago," he said, his brow furrowed. "Back in Godric's Hollow; just before speaking to you Alastor." Mad-Eye's face creased and he drew his wand.

"You are sure of this?" he growled, his hand gripped firmly on his wand. Dumbledore nodded, gesturing for Mad-Eye to lower his wand. He didn't.

"I'm sorry," Fred perked up, "but what exactly does that mean?"

"It means that the memory was implanted at Godric's Hollow..." Hermione answered, her voice shaking slightly.

"By someone here," Mad-Eye said softly. There was silence for a few moments. Harry's eyes, like everyone else's, swept around the group. His eyes connected very briefly with Ron's, and Harry could see his own expression matched in Ron's face.

"I trust everyone here." Harry said it plainly, with no embellishments. "I don't think anybody here is working against the Order."

"Well said," Dumbledore agreed, smiling.

"Fool," Mad-Eye murmured under his breath at the same time, his wand still raised. Of the rest of the group, no one else had their wands raised. "You are all fools... we have proof, gained by Dumbledore himself," [he nodded at Albus] "that the memory was implanted at Godric's Hollow. One of this group must have done it!"

"Be calm Alastor," Kingsley's soothing voice broke in as Hagrid looked like he might intervene. "There is always the chance that when the memory was implanted there was also a spell to cause brief amnesia in some way."

"So Dumbledore is mistaken?" Mad-Eye growled in response.

"I think that is enough, Alastor," Dumbledore's voice was calm yet firm. "I feel it is infinitely more likely that I have made a mistake then-"

Dumbledore was cut off as Harry transformed into a Phoenix and soared into the air. He had heard a crashing sound nearby, as indeed had most of the others, and he flew up to see the source of it. A moment later, he was zooming back towards the ground and he transformed back, fear etched on his face.

"Giants!" Harry yelled, snatching at his broomstick and his cloak, "Run!" Grabbing a hold of Ron and Hermione's robes, Harry ran helter-skelter through the trees, emerging onto the moor with the Order hot on his heels. They started to run across the moor but they were no match for the speed of a rampaging giant. The giants were emerging from all sides of the glade where they had just been stood, funnelling them onto the moor, forcing them out into the open. Harry found this strangely intelligent of giants, but this thought was driven out of his mind as Hermione launched herself into him; knocking Harry and Ron off their feet. Less than a second later a giant's foot was planted firmly into the ground where they had been stood. Harry had no time to thank Hermione.

"Impeditia!" he heard Hermione and Ron's voice yelling the same spell next to him as the Dumbledore and Kingsley attacked it from behind. The force of all five spells knocked the giant into the air, but as Dumbledore pulled Harry to his feet, they had no time to stop and take advantage of their fallen foe.

"Arthur!" the scream of terror was from Mrs Weasley off to his right, and Harry turned, horror-struck, to see Mr Weasley held aloft in one of the giant's hands. Harry wasted no time as the giant raised Mr Weasley towards his horrible, huge, gaping mouth.

"Hippogriff Aniservia!" Transforming into his largest flying form Harry flew at the giant, flapping his enormous wings into his face. Completely distracted, the giant dropped Mr Weasley and started swiping at Harry, who flew straight at the giant, clawing at his eyes with his vicious talons. The giant howled in pain and toppled backwards, knocking over another giant in the process. Swooping low, Harry picked up the prone form of Mr Weasley who had been stirring feebly on the floor twenty foot below, and flew towards where Dumbledore was stood, his wand raised, an enormous net flying out of his wand over the two fallen giants. He laid Mr Weasley down on the ground and transformed into a Phoenix. Gently, he laid his head onto Mr Weasley's bleeding leg, and forced a few tears out of his eyes. Seeing Mr Weasley's leg heal, Harry transformed back, just as the rest of the Order descended upon them.

"Get inside!" roared Mad-Eye, gesturing at the entrance to the lair which, Harry now noticed, was just behind Dumbledore. Helping Mr Weasley to his feet, Harry hurried into the lair, the rest of the Order right behind him.


	10. Chapter 10 Empty

Chapter 10 – Empty

Before Harry even had time to draw breath, Kingsley and Minerva McGonagall had rushed past him and were lighting the torches along the tunnel, their wands raised in case of an ambush. Mr Weasley was leaning heavily on Harry's shoulder.

"Thanks Harry," he panted, shifting his weight so he was leaning against the wall, "I didn't think I'd be able to get out of that!" Harry waved it away with a shake of his head, also trying to regain his breath.

"Well," said George, brushing dust off himself and addressing the group, "what now?"

"No choice but to go on." Mad-Eye was obviously unhappy about this, but he limped down the corridor, leading Kingsley and McGonagall down into the depths. Exchanging a glance with Hermione, Harry followed, the others hastening behind. The only calm one was Dumbledore, who strode serenely along at the back of the group. Harry waited a moment, letting the others pass him by, until he was stood next to Dumbledore.

"Is everything alright Harry?" Dumbledore murmured quietly.

"I just..." Harry hesitated, unsure of how to phrase his next sentence. "I don't think we should continue. I think it's a trap." He said it in a rush, and quietly, so as only Dumbledore could hear him.

Dumbledore cocked his head towards Harry. "You are sure of this?" Harry nodded. "Stay at the back." Dumbledore strode ahead, towards the front of the group, however, Harry could not hear what he said to Mad-Eye (who was behind Kingsley), as Ron had dropped back next to him.

"What makes you so sure?" said Ron, who had evidently overheard the previous bit of conversation.

"I don't know," Harry replied, subconsciously trying and failing to flatten his hair, "I guess it's just too quiet. If they were here, there would be noise up ahead. So either they're not here..." he trailed off.

"Or they know we're coming," Ron finished his sentence for him.

"We will not stop now, Albus!" Harry was distracted by Moody's voice up ahead. "I don't care what Potter thinks: we're in here now and we're going to keep searching. Quiet now!"

Dumbledore stopped in front of Mad-Eye as they reached a fork in the tunnel. Kingsley's wand illuminated the right-hand side; Moody's the left. "Alastor," he said in a soft voice that somehow carried down the corridor, "I –"

Dumbledore was cut off by an explosion at the entrance to the lair. Harry was blasted off his feet and he flew forwards, bowling into Hermione who fell to the floor. Before Harry could apologise he felt strong hands hauling him upright, and looked up to see Dumbledore pulling Harry out of harm's way. The group hurried down the tunnel and were soon split in two, as some were forced to go down the corridor with Mad-Eye, some with Kingsley. Harry was stood, panting, with Mr Weasley, Fred, George, Aaron, Kingsley, McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Alastor!" Dumbledore called as the dust cleared. "Alastor are you alright? Who do you have with you?"

"I've got Holloway, four Weasleys, Miss O'Hur, Granger and Hagrid," Moody reeled off quickly, "How about you?"

"Harry, Arthur, Fred, George, Aaron, Kingsley and Minerva," Dumbledore answered in a relieved tone. "Everyone's safe."

"Booby trap," Kingsley said, brushing some dust off Aaron's robes, "I think we can expect more."

"We should turn back," said Mr Weasley, anxiously peering through the rubble, trying to see the rest of his family.

"I have to agree Albus," McGonagall concurred, sounding slightly out of breath, "we should leave here as soon as possible."

Dumbledore nodded. "Alastor," he called again, "I am going to clear a path through the rubble. Could you get your group to step back?"

"I think we should proceed," came Alastor's voice from the other side.

"Don't worry Professor Dumbledore," came Hagrid's strong voice. "I'll move them all back."

"Thank you Hagrid," Dumbledore answered, smiling slightly to himself. He let a few seconds pass and then aimed his wand at the pile of rocks. He did not utter the spell aloud, and Harry was surprised as, instead of a reductor curse destroying the debris, the boulders ahead seemed to dissolve into a heap of thin dust. Giving Harry a wink, Dumbledore then levitated the pile and proceeded back up the tunnel, casually depositing the pile in a thin trail along the edge of the corridor. He turned as Mad-Eye and his group emerged from the other corridor. Mr Weasley breathed a sigh of relief as he spotted Mrs Weasley, as did Aaron as he espied Lucy. Mad-Eye on the other hand was glaring furiously at Hagrid, before he turned his gaze to Dumbledore.

"Are we continuing?" he asked, limping forward until he was next to Dumbledore, more than a trace of resentment filtering through his voice. Before anyone could answer his question there was a deep rumbling sound within the lair, rising in volume with every second. Kingsley turned down the side corridor, his wand illuminating the tunnel. There was a few moments where no one spoke, just listening as the rumbling grew louder.

"Run!" Kingsley yelled suddenly, turning to face them. Seizing George, who was stood next to him, Harry began to run, most of the group up ahead of him, until a terrible cry of pain caused him to stop.

"Dad!" The deep voice belonging to Aaron Shacklebolt rang out, unnaturally high pitched, and Harry turned to see that Aaron was running back towards Kingsley, who was lying on the floor, a heavy boulder crushing his legs.

"Leave me!" Kingsley voice came in a strained voice as Harry raced back to help Aaron with the boulder, but for some reason their wands could not lift it. The tunnel around them was collapsing, and Harry had a flashing memory of the Chasm of Life, which was driven out of his mind as a large rock smashed into his shoulder. Howling in pain Harry felt two pairs of hands pulling him away from Kingsley. Snarling, Harry twisted and turned, desperate to loosen their grip as he struggled back towards Kingsley. Just ahead he could see Fred and George hauling against Aaron to pull him back, and they just succeeded in moving him as a large piece of tunnel roof collapsed onto the spot where he had just been stood, blocking Kingsley from sight.

"Harry, we must go!" Mr Weasley's voice yelled into his ear, and, as Aaron was pulled past him by Fred and George, he felt himself being pulled backwards out of the tunnel. He turned and ran up towards the exit to find that the second person had been Dumbledore, who now was racing with a speed that belied his age alongside Harry, forcing him along at a terrific pace. Mad-Eye Moody was also forced backwards by Dumbledore, who too had his wand raised. He had more success in levitating the rocks out of their way but, as the three of them burst into the sunlight, the last of the tunnel caved in behind them.

Harry lay panting on the ground. "Kingsley..." his voice was barely a whisper, but he knew that the rest of the group had heard him. Just as his eyes had adjusted enough to see that the giants had gone, he felt hot tears begin to pour recklessly out of his eyes. Kingsley had always been there, and it was only now that he was gone that Harry fully appreciated the amount of safety he had felt when Kingsley was around. Indeed, the aura of calm that he had exuded had been second only to Dumbledore, and Harry placed his head in his hands, his body shaking.

"Harry..." the soft voice of Albus Dumbledore swam through his consciousness, as he felt a strong hand hauling him to his feet. "Harry I am sorry but we must leave now. Come on." Without really thinking about it or feeling what his body was doing Harry ran with the others across the moor and into the shade of the trees, from where the group apparated back to Godric's Hollow.

*

The next hour or so was passed in near silence. Dumbledore had spent a few minutes alone with Aaron, who was inconsolable and had isolated himself in one of the loft rooms, before being forced to return to Hogwarts. Hermione too, red-eyed and at a complete loss of anything to say, had returned to Hogwarts with him, even shaking off an attempt at comforting from Ron. Ron exchanged a glance with Harry, but said nothing.

Harry was slumped in an armchair in the living room. Save for when Hermione and Dumbledore had left he hadn't looked up from his forlorn gaze into the floor. The image of Kingsley, legs pinned by that enormous boulder, seemed to be printed in his mind. The carpet seemed to twist itself into his anguished face, and no matter how many times Harry closed his eyes to block out the pain the picture held firm, plastered across his eyelids.

Eventually Harry took the opportunity to go upstairs and speak to his parents, and whilst their words were of comfort and support, they couldn't sustain him long, and he soon found himself lying on his bed, tears trickling slowly off his face and into his pillow. He couldn't bring himself to confront the horrifying truth that Kingsley was gone, and already he found himself missing the deep voice that he trusted so implicitly. Occasionally Harry heard a racking sob from upstairs, each piercing him like a physical wound, each a sharp reminder of what had happened. At one point Harry considered going up to see Aaron, but he realised before he'd even attempted to raise himself from the bed that seeing Aaron would not help either of them. He heard a knock on the door, and as he rolled over he saw Ron enter the room. He sat down on the end of the bed, not looking at Harry. There was silence for a moment, which Ron eventually broke.

"Are you alright?" he said cautiously, finally turning his gaze to Harry, who forced himself to meet Ron's eyes. He nodded slowly. Ron gave an understanding nod. "It's just so difficult to believe... I mean... he..." he trailed off. This time it was Harry's term to shoot Ron an understanding look. "I just don't understand something."

"What?" Harry asked, and he couldn't help but be a bit intrigued.

"Well, I don't understand why the boulders wouldn't move," he said in a puzzled tone.

"Well they were pretty big," Harry said, thinking back. "I probably did it wrong..." he trailed off, looking mortified.

"I doubt that," Ron answered quickly, half sceptical half consoling, "I mean, what are the chances that you, Aaron, and Moody would all get it wrong? I mean you're not exactly a bad bunch of wizards..."

"Moody?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, he was right behind you," Ron answered, nodding. "Dumbledore told him to run as, you know, he can't move very quickly, but he stayed to help. Hermione and I tried to bring him out. That's why I don't understand it."

"Maybe there was a jinx on the boulders," Harry asked, instinctively running a hand through his hair, "something that would make the boulders immune to lifting spells."

"Got it in one, Potter," A growling voice came from the doorway. Ron spun around. Neither he nor Harry had noticed Mad-Eye enter the room, but he nodded approvingly at Harry. "You're both spot on. The chances of three wizards being unable to lift a boulder magically is nigh on zero. I found the jinx in much the same way you found the alarm in your cell Potter, but by that time the tunnel was collapsing around the rest of us. I regret that at that moment Dumbledore forced me out of the tunnel." Moody face crinkled in disgust at these words, and he turned to leave the room, before turning back and moving towards the bed, reaching into his pocket as he did so. "I found these on the floor in the kitchen," he growled, drawing two pieces of parchment out of his pocket. "You should be more careful. Leaving them lying around isn't a good idea Potter. Especially after what happened with Holloway..." he trailed off, handing Harry the pieces of parchment. Harry instantly recognised the handwriting of Ron and Peter Pettigrew: the two things required to get in to Godric's Hollow. As Mad-Eye left the room, closely followed by Ron, Harry's mind instantly reeled back to the lair.

"We just need to make sure we are able to reach her without any trouble if needs be..." the words of Regalus Black reverberated through his head. What if this was how they had known about Neville protecting Ginny? What if this was how they had kept an eye on the house – could still be keeping an eye on the house? At this thought Harry's head wheeled around, staring out of the window. He couldn't see anyone but then again, he suspected, that might not mean they weren't there. Despite what he had said earlier about trusting everyone, these thoughts couldn't help but sow doubts in his mind. Was there anyone he couldn't trust? Mad-Eye? Surely not. Ron? Definitely not. Harry mentally scanned the Order, and he couldn't help but allow his mind to rest on Snape.

For what felt like the thousandth time, Harry found himself dwelling on Dumbledore's trust in Snape. Dumbledore, Merlin, probably the greatest wizard in the world, but also the most trusting, and Voldemort, Andromidus and Regalus, three of the most distrusting wizards in the world. Who would Snape be more likely to fool? Harry did not know how to answer this question, but after another scan through the Order, he could think of no one else. He trusted all the Weasleys; Hermione; Mad-Eye; Lucy, Aaron and Charlie; Minerva McGonagall; Dumbledore; and Hagrid. Hagrid...

"No," Harry told himself sternly, "Hagrid would never give us away." Hagrid had been known to discuss the Philosopher's Stone in a pub to a complete stranger after a few drinks, but Harry couldn't see it going this far. Dumbledore may have been teaching Hagrid magic, (a subject upon which Harry had not had another chance to speak to Hagrid about), but the likelihood of Hagrid casting a memory charm on Charlie Holloway were zero. Harry reassured himself with that fact and, just as he had convinced himself that this was true, Harry heard a massive sobbing sneeze that Harry instantly recognised as belonging to Hagrid, and he got to his feet, pausing only for a moment to smile affectionately at his mother in the portrait, (James was fast asleep in a chair in the corner), before leaving the room.

He arrived downstairs to find that all but two people had left the sitting room: Hagrid, sniffling into one of his enormous handkerchiefs; and Minerva McGonagall, who was comforting him. The others were sat outside under the darkening sky being served an evening supper by Dobby and Winky, although Harry suspected that none of them were eating very much. He looked with enormous affection at the half-giant in front of him, and the old professor who was struggling to hold her arm around his enormous, shaking shoulders.

"S'all my fault," Hagrid sobbed, huge tears falling out of his puffy eyes. "S'all my fault..."

"There, there," Minerva comforted him, "it's not your fault. It's nobody's fault but the Death Eaters who did this. Don't you blame yourself."

"B-But, I t-told everyone that we sh-should go!" Hagrid's voice broke and he planted his massive head in his hands, his dark, matted hair drooping over his face in a tangled mess.

"It's not your fault, Hagrid," said Harry, announcing his presence and striding over to sit on the other side of Hagrid. Both McGonagall and Hagrid smiled at him gratefully, Hagrid placing his hand on Harry's shoulder so hard that Harry's chair sank a few inches into the floor. Trying not to wince, Harry patted Hagrid awkwardly on the arm. "Like Professor..." [Harry shot a glance at McGonagall] "Minerva said, it's nobody's fault but the Death Eaters. They're to blame." Hagrid nodded, sniffling, but said nothing. Harry regarded his friend with sad eyes. Why was this sort of thing still happening?

*

The funeral was held two days later at Kingsley's house. Harry realised with a pang that he had never met Kingsley's wife, Sandra, a quiet lady who said little and merely nodded tearfully when introduced to Harry. She and Aaron were sat at the front with Mr Weasley, Dumbledore, Mad-Eye and other Aurors, some whom Harry recognised and some whom Harry didn't. There were surprisingly few family members, with the rest of the seats generally being occupied by the Order. Harry was sat with Ginny, with Ron and Hermione further along, sat behind Bill, Charlie, Fred and George, and Fred was accompanied by his girlfriend Angelina Johnson. Despite the fact that they had been dating for a long time Harry had only met Angelina once or twice since she had left Hogwarts. She had now made it into the Puddlemere United team with Oliver Wood, and Harry had been looking forward to playing against them at some point in the next season.

Now, however, he could not see beyond Voldemort. Although he had not returned yet, Harry had that horrible, suffocating feeling of inevitability, and again Harry felt his future obscured by the presence of Dark wizards. His thoughts turned to Andromidus and Regalus, before focussing purely on Andromidus. Again Harry was forced to accept that he was more wary of Andromidus than of any other wizard he had met before, save for Voldemort himself. Maybe it was because he was sort of an unknown entity, but Andromidus struck fear into him like no other wizard currently alive. Harry had to concede that he was not aware of many Dark wizards at the moment, but the point was moot: Andromidus was a powerful and frightening wizard. Was he powerful enough to reincarnate Voldemort? Harry searched his heart for the answer, and found that he didn't like it one bit.


	11. Chapter 11 Strength and Weakness

Chapter 11 - Strength and Weakness

Over the next week back at Hogwarts, Harry tried very much to keep his own council. Hermione tried to get him to talk by inviting him to help with her lectures, but he had declined. He found it very surreal that, all around him, students were milling around with their ordinary business, absolutely unaware of the death of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley had been such a regular part of Harry's life that Harry felt that he had taken Kingsley for granted. How often had Kingsley been there to help the Order? And how often had anyone really stopped to thank him? Harry found himself mortified by the conclusion that this final question seemed to bring him to, and when he did think about Kingsley's death, he often found himself soaring around the castle as a phoenix.

There was something very relaxing about flying between the towers: wings gliding across the tiles, skimming along the rooftops, occasionally scaring students in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor towers, once or twice even entering the Gryffindor common room, without changing form, just to say hi to Ginny. His visits to Ginny often confused the other Gryffindors, especially when Ginny would laugh and reach out a hand for him to perch on. More was exchanged in those looks than any bystander could interpret, and although some seemed to know it was Harry, (he thought this might have been because of his transformation at the end of the battle of Hogwarts in his sixth year, where several girls had seen him transform when he had returned Ginny to the castle after she had fallen off her broom), by and large Harry knew that these moments had been largely unnoticed. It was also through these visits that Harry found out about Matt Taylor.

Matt Taylor was a seventh year Gryffindor whom Harry had never really come across, despite the fact that he had been in the same common room as Harry for four and a half years. A year younger than Ginny, he was now in her year and, seemingly, in all her classes. It was also very apparent to Harry that, despite her status as a married woman, Matt had taken a liking to her. He often sat with her by the fire, (a lot closer than Harry approved of), and Harry couldn't help but notice that Ginny didn't draw away. "I trust Ginny," he told himself sternly and, as he analysed this thought, he knew he truly did. Despite anything Harry might have been able to interpret had he wanted to he knew that Ginny would never come close to cheating on him. That thought reassured him greatly, although it didn't make him much happier about the movements of Matt Taylor.

Sat now inside his living room, Harry pushed these thoughts out of his mind. He forced himself not to think of either Kingsley or Matt Taylor, and his thoughts resolved themselves on Dumbledore. Harry couldn't help but notice that, not only had he not had any lessons with Dumbledore since Kingsley's death, but that Dumbledore had not been visible around Hogwarts much at all. Harry dwelt upon this for a few moments as a shiver ran down his spine. Dumbledore would have to have a very good reason for leaving the school, (although Harry was certain he would've left extra protection around the school whilst he was gone), and Harry couldn't help but feel this reason would have been to combat the Secret Elite in some way. Or was he visiting the child?

Harry had not thought much about Brian Hinks for a while but, as his mind retraced his memories to the night in the lair where Harry had been forced to take the potion to find the child, the image of the raging toddler settled in Harry's mind. He had certainly been an angry boy; livid in fact. Harry had not seen that kind of rage in anyone other than Voldemort himself, and the recollection of the tantrum being thrown made Harry extremely nervous. This feeling did not improve when Harry remembered the end of the vision, where the toddler had looked directly at Harry, seemingly as though he knew he was there. His eyes had been the same startling green as Harry's, and Harry couldn't help but wonder if the events in the next realm had effected Voldemort's rebirth more than another witch or wizard's.

Harry was snapped out of his reverie by the clock chiming on the mantelpiece. Ten o'clock. It took Harry a moment to place why he was suddenly feeling anxious, and then it clicked. His heart beating rapidly as panic filled him, he tore out of the house and transformed into a thestral, zooming across the sweeping Hogwarts' lawns. Just as he began to hear a roaring crowd noise he transformed back and raced up the stairs of the quidditch stadium. Had he missed the start of Ginny's game? As he sat down next to Hagrid, (who, having saved him a seat, chided him on being late), he looked up to see the quaffle being thrown into the air. He relaxed a little, his eyes scanning the sky for Ginny.

Ginny was sweeping across the furthest side of the stadium, soaring past a Ravenclaw beater, one arm held out to receive the quaffle. Having remained in her role as chaser, Harry had been slightly annoyed to discover that Matt Taylor was the Gryffindor seeker. He looked up to see him looping above the stadium, eyes scanning for the snitch, but Harry noticed that, more than once, his gaze would switch to Ginny. Harry turned his attention to Leanne Filroy, whom had been made captain by Ginny before she had taken her year out, Ginny having been made captain by Harry when he had left for Auror training. Leanne smashed a particularly vicious bludger at the keeper, whom Harry recognised as the Ravenclaw captain Henry Peters, and as Henry was forced to duck, Ginny threw the ball straight through the central hoop to open the scoring.

Harry found it very surreal watching Gryffindor playing quidditch without him actually taking part. Several times he had to stop himself from calling out instructions to the team, although he did soon notice that half the rest of the crowd appeared to be doing this anyway. Harry had watched quidditch many, many times before; of the other Hogwarts teams playing each other, and most of the Kingston Kites professional games this season, but for some reason watching his old house playing felt very strange. He even contemplated for a few moments turning into one of his flying animagus forms so as to see Gryffindor play as he was used to seeing them.

Gryffindor were playing very well. Harry had seen a couple of their training sessions, enough to know that the new keeper was more consistent than Ron, but without that flair that made Ron nigh on unbeatable when he was having a good game. Leanne was leading superbly by example, zipping across the stadium launching bludgers in all directions, fighting back almost every attack. Within half an hour Gryffindor were 100 – 20 up, and Ravenclaw were showing little sign of responding. Indeed, if it hadn't been for Peters, the game would have been comfortably over by now. Despite the score line Peters had been playing superbly, with all the goals being scored by wonderful cooperation between the Gryffindor chasers and beaters.

Ginny was also playing possibly the best quidditch Harry had ever seen her play, and he watched her proudly as she span her broom around in mid air, throwing the ball directly underneath Peters and into the furthest hoop. Just as play resumed Harry saw Matt go into a spectacular dive, the Ravenclaw chaser right behind him. In two minds as to whether or not he wanted Matt to catch the snitch Harry watched and, as the Gryffindor seeker clasped his hand around the futilely struggling snitch, he was ashamed to find himself disappointed; a feeling worsened when Ginny flew across and gave him a hug.

"Not jealous are yer?" Hagrid had been watching Harry's expression and spoke with a very strange mixture of sarcasm and alarm, as if unsure as to how to react to Harry's apparent jealousy and having compensated by addressing both possible interpretations. Hagrid's face was also a mixture of emotions, something Harry couldn't help but find slightly amusing although, unlike Hagrid, he managed to keep these thoughts from showing on his face. Instead he address Hagrid's query.

"No, no," he said quickly, and Hagrid looked reassured. "It's just a bit weird watching Gryffindor play quidditch."

"Thought you watched them when you were banned?" Hagrid asked, confused.

"Detentions with Umbridge," Harry stated simply, and Hagrid laughed. As the crowd began to filter out, (Gryffindors crowing loudly about their demolition of Ravenclaw), Harry made his way across the quidditch field to the Gryffindor changing room and waited outside for the team to emerge. After about ten minutes, the door opened, and Leanne Filroy emerged, and she gave Harry a wide smile.

"Hey Harry!" she said, beaming with the warmth only a win as quidditch captain can bring, and she stepped forward and gave him a hug. "How come you haven't been teaching at any of Professor Granger's lessons? Or Professor Hilier's?"

Harry laughed and gave a small shrug. "Not been called for many yet," he replied, slightly untruthfully. "None from Emily – Professor Hilier – yet anyway, although she did mention that I might be called in for a project soon with the seventh years."

"Wouldn't that be odd teaching Ginny?" she asked slyly.

"Considering I've lived with her and taught her before..." Harry couldn't help but laugh though. Leanne carried on into the castle, followed by two chasers, the keeper and the other beater, as Ginny and Matt Taylor emerged, laughing from the changing rooms. Matt stopped laughing as soon as he saw Harry and, after shooting a furtive glance at Ginny, gave Harry a curt nod and followed the rest of the team into the castle, glancing back once over his shoulder as he left. Ginny, having not noticed this, jumped forward to give him a hug, laughing happily.

"You were great!" Harry said, kissing her on the cheek. The smile on his face did not quite extend to his eyes as he embraced her, his thoughts dwelling for a moment on Matt Taylor. He removed any hint of the expression from his face as she drew back to look at him, smiling.

"Thanks!" she said, taking his arm and leading him up into the castle, "And Matt's catch was good as well! I mean, not as good as any of yours..." Harry caught the fact that she had covered over her admiration of Matt's performance, but appreciated the gesture all the same, and he escorted her up to Gryffindor tower, where he left her to enjoy the post-match party. Harry again found it very bizarre to not be a part of the celebrations, and he felt a tinge of something that felt like a mixture of resentment, jealousy and disappointment welling up inside him. Once he was in the grounds, he pushed this to one side by transforming into a lion, a form he hadn't taken for a while, and pounding his way into the enfolding dusk.

*

Harry had, to his mind, a very rare stroke of genius the next day. Marvelling at the simplicity of the idea, he headed up into the castle as the sun reached its zenith, following the familiar route up to the room of requirement. Harry had been pondering how to relieve his boredom, (it seemed Hermione had given up trying to invite him to help with lessons, something which Harry was considering making an about turn and taking some action about), when suddenly the flash of inspiration had come to him. Harry had to admit, whilst he was on his way up to the room of requirement, that he was intrigued as to what the room would produce, and it was with mounting anticipation he paced outside the room.

"I need something to do," he thought, striding outside the entrance to the room, turning around every few steps, "I need something to stop me being bored." On the third turn, a wooden door had appeared in the wall which Harry opened immediately.

Even though he had seen what the room could do before, he was astounded by what had happened. The room was truly cavernous, far bigger than when he had formed the D.A., and yet far more cluttered. It was almost as big as a quidditch field, and the room was higher than any of the hoops. Small walls similar to those in the experiment chamber at the ministry ran haphazardly around the room, dividing it into sections which the room had labelled with large banners which hung from the roof.

The area nearest to Harry was marked "Muggle games". Harry could see that this was a very broad description indeed: he could see packs of cards, board games, (the room seemed to intend for him to bring company with him), jigsaw puzzles, a couple of games consoles with a television, and even a bouncy castle. Making a mental note to ask Hermione as to how the electrical items could work given what she had told him about how they all went haywire around Hogwarts, Harry followed the wall around to the next section, labelled "Current Events". Here Harry saw about twenty piles of newspapers and magazines, sorted in terms of subject. Harry could see the Daily Prophet stacked on top of The Wizarding World and other newspapers, a small stack of quidditch magazines, some travel guides and even some foreign newspapers. Harry spotted The Quibbler lying on the floor all by itself, and he couldn't help but give it an affectionate smile.

Harry knew instantly that the next section would hold Hermione's attention as soon as he had a chance to show her the room. Simply entitled "Library", the walls enclosed one of the largest sections of the room, in which were shelves of books that Harry knew would not exist in the Hogwarts' library. Even from where he stood he could see "A Guide to Runes and Symbolism in Hogwarts" and "Wizarding Genealogy: Tracing Magical Families Through the Ages". Grinning to himself slightly as he imagined the enraptured expression on Hermione's face, Harry continued around the edge of the library to the section furthest from the door.

The title of the section was simply "Not Yet". It was a relatively small section, but all that it held was a small platform, barely a foot higher than the ground. There was nothing on top of this platform, but Harry could sense that something would appear there sometime soon. Harry entered the area but, as he lifted his foot to step onto the platform, he found himself stood back at the entrance to the room of requirement. Puzzled and intensely curious Harry headed directly for the section again but, at the same moment as last time, he found himself back at the entrance again. Completely bemused as to why the room of requirement would create something such as this, Harry proceeded to the next section, which drove all thoughts of the "Not Yet" section out of his mind.

Entitled "The Quidditch Chamber", it was unlike the others in that it was entirely enclosed, creating a small booth in which Harry found a broom hovering in the air. As soon as Harry entered the room, the door closed behind him, and as he got onto the broom, he felt the room of requirement melt away, to be replaced by a quidditch field. Harry, an experienced seeker, immediately noticed that there were four hoops instead of three. They also seemed to have writing on them. He flew towards them and read the signs slowly.

"Keeper; chaser; beater; seeker," he read aloud, slightly bemusedly. Seeing as it was the only action that seemed to make any sense, he directed his broom towards the hoop labelled "seeker", and flew straight through it. Instantly, a snitch appeared in front of Harry which zoomed straight over his head and, before he had a chance to turn around fully, vanished. As he turned though, he was completely distracted by the appearance of two quidditch teams. One was robed entirely in gold, the other in a shimmering silver, but all the players seemed strangely faceless. From a distance they all seemed to be average height, average build, with medium length brown hair, but as he drew near to the nearest player, the silver team's keeper, their face seemed strangely blurred.

"Hello?" Harry said tentatively, unsure as to what the reaction would be. This elicited no reply, and Harry quickly discovered that the same was true of the other players. Just before the quaffle was thrown into the air by a similarly generic black-robed referee, Harry's own clothes suddenly flashed into a shimmering gold colour. As the quaffle was thrown into the air Harry did the only thing that seemed sensible: he started looking for the snitch.

The game beneath him seemed to be very one-sided with the golden team steamrollering their silver opponents. After a mere ten minutes of play, with the score at 90 – 10, Harry spotted the snitch. It took him just moments to catch it and, as his hand closed around the snitch the field faded, and he found himself back in the room of requirement. After becoming accustomed to being back within the realms of normality, Harry's initial reaction was of disappointment. That had been far too easy. However, as he turned to exit the chamber he spotted what he had, subconsciously, known would be there. Although he had been unaware of the form in which it would present itself, Harry had known that, due to the nature of the room of requirement, there would be some way of increasing the difficulty of the game and, as he reached the exit to the room, there was a list of spells to increase the difficulty of the game. Deciding that he would try them out later, Harry headed back out into the open room of requirement.

The penultimate section was also the largest. Excitingly titled "The Animagus Training Area", the walls of this zone enclosed just under half of the room yet, like the room itself, it was cluttered with objects. There were ramps and runways along the floor, traps and tunnels layered into the floor, hoops and ropes suspended in the air, and even a clutch of wizard models; fake wands held in their hands, their torsos supported by swivelling metal shafts. His smile becoming more and more pronounced, Harry traced the borderline of the area back towards the front door, pausing only briefly at a small fenced off area entitled "Relaxation Area", which was about the sized of his cabin which contained a couple of sofas and some enormous pillows, along with a few potions lined across a side table. Harry quickly discovered from the little notes in front of them that these potions were designed to relieve stress. He even recognised one as being created using the juice of the fruit from the plant that he had been shown in his very first lesson with Professor Hilier, which had left the entire class with a warm glow of self-satisfaction. Unsure as to whether or not he would take them, (mentally adding this to the list of things to ask Hermione about), he made to leave the room, a broad smile on his face.

He pulled out the invisibility cloak and put it on just before he left the room, not wanting to be pestered by students on the way back to his hut. To the same end, he pulled out the marauders map as he closed the door behind him, but before he had a chance to open it, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Looking around, he quickly unfolded the map and tapped it with his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said quietly. He glanced over it quickly; Hagrid was striding out of the forest near where Harry assumed his cabin was, but Harry's eyes were drawn to the figure labelled "Harry Potter". He scanned the area quickly and was immediately struck by the name of the person nearest to where he was stood.

Striding off in the opposite direction was Severus Snape. Feeling very suspicious, Harry stuffed the map back in his robes and edged quickly and quietly towards the corner, but just before he could peer around the corner there was a loud cracking sound; the sound Harry knew as being one of apparition. Harry looked around the corner to find an empty corridor. Fumbling slightly, Harry drew out the map again and peered at it. He scanned the area around him as quickly as he could, but he could not see Snape anywhere. His eyes stopped their scanning as he spotted a familiar name.

Ginny was sat in the library a few stories below and, to Harry's annoyance, she was not alone. Matt Taylor was sat next to her. Harry was unsure as to whether he should go down and see her and, as he briefly scanned over the rest of the map, the only other difference he could see was that Dobby was back inside the cabin, Harry having sent him to Godric's Hollow to keep Winky company for a few days. He was on the verge of deciding to just go home when Ginny left the library and, to Harry's surprise, did not head towards Gryffindor tower. As a Sunday, he knew she had no lessons, so he followed her little dot on the map and met her, a couple of minutes later, as she was walking past the charms classroom.

"Hey, Ginny!" Harry called after her, and she turned to face him. She gave him a small smile, but Harry could see that she had her hand on her stomach. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," she said, grimacing slightly, "just ate some sweets that don't seem to agree with me!" She forced a smile onto her face, and Harry put his arm around her shoulder and started walking with her to the hospital wing.

"I didn't think you were allowed food in the library?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Matt brought some which he kept under the table..." Ginny trailed off. "How did you know I was in the library?" Harry told Ginny what had happened, and she surprised him by not being very concerned about it. "Harry, you are determined to hold a grudge against Snape!" she laughed. "People are allowed to walk in the corridors here!" Harry tried to remain serious, but couldn't and he laughed with her. As they reached the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey came out and assured Harry that she would take care of Ginny and, without pause or ceremony, she showed Harry the door.


	12. Chapter 12 The History of Andromidus

It seems I've not been balancing this very well, for this chapter is a monster… almost 6,000 words! Sorry for the delay, have been a bit busy with interviews.

Chapter Twelve - The History of Andromidus

The moment Harry opened the door to his cabin Dobby came barrelling into his midsection, a note in his hand. "Master Harry!" he squealed waving one of his tiny knobbly fists in the air, in which was clutched a small note. Harry smiled as he took the piece of parchment, recognising Hermione's neat handwriting. He unfolded it and smoothed it out on the table.

_"Dear Harry,_

_How are you? I was just sending a quick note to ask if you could help teach my seventh year class tomorrow? We're starting human transfiguration and, since I have a large class, I'd appreciate a bit of help in what could be a rather manic practical lesson! You'll be able to teach Ginny too!_

_Also I think Professor Diggory may ask for your assistance too with teaching his defence lesson about Dementors. Dumbledore has decided that, despite the fact there aren't many left, in the current climate it would be a good idea for the students to learn. He has even obtained a Bogart! Unless your fear has changed? Send Dobby back with your answer._

_Love Hermione."_

Harry considered for a moment. Were Dementors still his greatest fear? Harry had to confess that they weren't: the discovery of the golden patronus had meant that there was a way of getting rid of Dementors. His greatest fear now, he had to admit, was losing Ginny. Not to Matt; not that sense of loss, but to Andromidus. Harry had to acknowledge that his greatest fear was of the wizard he had first come to know as Number Two. Harry had felt something when he had first met Andromidus, something intangible and indefinable, but Harry now knew that it was straight-forward fear. He considered how to phrase this in a message, but just decided to write that he would love to help but that he doubted whether a Dementor was his greatest fear, so he was unsure as to whether he would be able to help Professor Diggory. Scribbling this down on the back of the parchment, he handed it back to Dobby, who disappeared with a loud crack.

*

Sure enough, the following day, on his way to Hermione's class, Harry was called over by Professor Diggory, who beckoned him into his classroom. Harry smiled and followed him into the classroom, where Mr Diggory indicated a chair, on which Harry sat.

"Professor Granger informs me that you are assisting her with a large class this morning?" Harry nodded. "She also tells me that she mentioned that I might require a bit of help this week?" Harry nodded again.

"She said you were using a Bogart to teach students about Dementors," Harry said quickly, his eyes darting to the wardrobe behind Mr Diggory, which gave an ominous rattle. Mr Diggory smiled.

"Indeed I am," he said, nodding approvingly at the wardrobe. "I am sure you can see the problem, however? What if no one in this class is afraid of Dementors? Or feels more scared of something other than Dementors?" Mr Diggory paused significantly.

"And you've heard that a Bogart turns into a Dementor when I'm near it?" Mr Diggory nodded, laughing. "Well, I don't know if it still would... Dementors just don't hold the same fear for me any more; not since it was figured out how to kill them."

"You mean not since _you_ figured it out?" Mr Diggory corrected him. "Still, that is indeed a problem and it is why you are here now. With your permission, I would like to find out." Harry, who had suspected that this was why he was in here, nodded slightly warily, and got to his feet, drawing his wand. "You remember the spell?"

"Riddikulus," Harry replied quickly, and Mr Diggory inclined his head approvingly. He pointed his wand at the wardrobe and the doors swung open. There was a moment of silence, and then a Death Eater stepped out of the wardrobe, his wand raised.

"We've got her, Harry," said Andromidus' calm voice. "We've got her and you can't stop us. We'll bring him back, Harry..." Harry, shaking himself and reminding himself of what he needed to do, raised his wand.

"Riddikulus!" The Death Eater buckled, its robes turning a rosy pink as it was forced into one of Harry's Aunt Petunia's favourite cocktail dresses. Mr Diggory grinned at Harry, making sure he didn't laugh aloud, and forced the Bogart back into the wardrobe.

"A dress?" he asked lightly, allowing himself a laugh.

Harry laughed too. "I got the idea from Neville," he said quickly. "He used to make Professor Snape wear his grandma's clothes." Professor Diggory roared with laughter. He strode towards the door, which he opened for Harry, still chortling.

"Well Harry," he said, beaming at him with badly-suppressed mirth, "As amusing as that was it means that you're off the hook. You are of course welcome to come and help whenever you like, just come and see me in the morning before hand and I'll let you know what's going on." Harry nodded briefly, flashed a quick smile at Professor Diggory, and then headed off towards Hermione's classroom. He was there before the rest of the class, and he entered to find Hermione writing notes on the board.

"Hey Harry!" she said, turning as he knocked on the door. "I was so glad when you said you'd come. I think this lesson might be a bit... exuberant!"

"Which bit of human transfiguration are you doing?" Harry asked, turning his attention to the blackboard. "Facial features?"

"Yes," said Hermione, sounding half sceptical and half amused, "can't see it being the most productive lesson, can you?" Harry laughed, and went to sit on the chair that had been conjured for him by Hermione, a bright red squishy armchair. "Will you find it weird teaching Mrs Potter?" Harry threw a cushion at her.

"Her name," he said, punctuating the gap with the throw of another cushion, "is Ginny. And no, I taught her in the D.A. before didn't I?"

"True," Hermione answered, sniggering as she used her wand to shoot the cushions back at Harry.

"Now is that really the way teachers are supposed to behave, Professor?" The smirking face of Matt Taylor had appeared in the doorway, followed by Leanne Filroy and several other seventh years. Hermione shot a reproachful look at Harry who was shaking with suppressed mirth on his chair and desperately trying, and failing spectacularly, to keep a straight face.

"Mr Potter here was just demonstrating how to get hit by a cushion," Hermione answered through her own badly masked smile.

"And Professor Granger would like a foot of parchment on it for homework," said Harry quickly, before being hit over the head with another cushion. Hermione shook her head at him as Leanne burst out laughing, although Harry couldn't help but notice that Matt's laughter was less impressed. He watched them all take their seats, looking out for Ginny.

"Mrs Potter can't make it today Professor," Leanne piped up as she took her seat right at the front of the class. "Hospital wing." Hermione shot a worried glance at Harry who, after a moment's recollection, put up a placating hand.

"She went up yesterday," he said, frowning at both the memory and the fact that the empty seat was next to Matt, "something about eating some bad sweets, though I'm surprised that she's not back yet." He shook his head at Hermione's unspoken offer for Harry to go and see her, and she smiled appreciatively at him before turning to the class.

"Today we are going to be having a practical lesson on human transfiguration," she said clearly, and Harry was impressed by how well she had settled into the job: her voice was confident and unwavering, even though Harry was in the room. "It will be a simple lesson but, due to the size of the class, I have asked Professor Potter here to come and help." Harry couldn't help but wince slightly at his being referred to as "Professor Potter". "We will start the lesson, "Hermione continued, "by practising some simple facial alterations. Now I know some of you are already envisioning some humorous and somewhat crude transfigurations, but anything I deem to be too lewd or offensive will result in the docking of points, even from my own house." Harry had forgotten that Hermione had recently taken over the duties of head of house, although there was nothing particularly onerous about this.

Hermione directed the attention of the class to the blackboard. "First of all, we will be trying some simple colour changing. The first line on the board demonstrates how to change hair colour from the natural colour to grey. This can be particularly useful in Auror work if to disguise oneself they need to look elderly. The incantation is "canities mutatio", and must be followed with a simple jab of the wand. Ha- Professor Potter, can you stand up a moment?"

Having once seen Ron come back from a raid having forgotten to change his hair colour, (the sight of a Weasley without red hair was one that Harry had found very disconcerting), Harry got to his feet without feeling too much anxiety. He faced Hermione who gave him a small smile, and she raised her wand.

"You simply say the charm and then poke your wand at the person you are wishing to charm," she said, turning her head to address the class. "For an Auror to perform it on themselves they aim their wand inwards" [she turned her wand and mimed poking it towards her self before aiming it at Harry again] "but today I will be demonstrating with Professor Potter."

"Indeed," said Harry, who jabbed his wand at Hermione, "canities mutatio!" He hadn't been able to resist; he had reassured himself with the fact that the class all knew Hermione well and that she would take the funny side, and he was very relieved when, after her bushy hair had turned a silvery grey colour, she reluctantly laughed along with the rest of the class. She pointed her wand at him and, muttering something indistinguishable, she waved it slowly in a circular motion. There was a pause for a moment and Harry was aware that everyone seemed to be studying his face. A second later the entire class burst out laughing and Harry, completely unsure as to what they were laughing at, conjurored a small mirror and held it up to his face. There were, in bright letters, words written across his face. The read:

"This will happen if you misbehave." The words glimmered plainly across his face and Harry shook his head as he cast the counter curse, but couldn't help a small grin crossing his face. "Thank you, Professor," Hermione addressed him, her hair returned to its usual brown colour, "for demonstrating both the spell and the punishment for inappropriate charms. If I see anything, _anything _going on that shouldn't be, some sort of message will appear that you will be unable to eradicate for the rest of the day. So partner up with the person next to you, Matt you go with Leanne and Sarah, and I want you to try out the charm. You may begin."

There was a scraping of chairs as the class got to their feet, wands drawn, facing each other. Harry reminisced fondly for a moment about his own practical lessons, before remembering with a jolt that he was supposed to be helping Hermione. He quickly got to his feet and started to patrol the class. Hermione had been quite right to ask for help. The class was very exuberant; especially Matt, Leanne and the other girl, Sarah, over in the corner. Harry spent a reasonable amount of time with these three, partly, he was slightly ashamed to admit, because of the mildly vindictive pleasure he got from watching Matt fail spectacularly to perform the charm and Harry having to rectify it for him, eliciting a very muted and reluctant thanks.

As the lesson wore on the charms became more exciting and the class became more excitable. A student's maturity goes right out of the window in a practical lesson, Harry thought, looking fondly around the class. He was watching the trio again and Matt failing once more to accomplish the current charm. Harry once again corrected the mistake and showed him what he was doing wrong, though he couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his mouth. Matt heard and turned away, blushing furiously. Harry wandered his way back up to the front of the classroom, aware that Hermione was about to finish the class, before suddenly he was forced off his feet and slammed into the furthest blackboard.

A crack echoed around the room as, covered in chalk from head to toe, Harry rose to his feet as quickly as he could, not caring about his appearance, his wand raised towards the door. The class was deathly silent but there was no-one there. He strode towards the doorway, and looked out into the corridor, but there was no mystery assailant; no fading footsteps. Harry re-entered the class room, looking suspiciously around the room as Hermione, looking concernedly into Harry's eyes, waved her wand up and down to siphon off the chalk coating Harry's body. Harry, however, was looking at the class, but could detect no hint of any malice, not even from Matt.

"Who did that?" Harry's voice was low and even he was surprised by the enormous rage that lurked behind it. The class was silent, each looking around at their classmates, stunned, although none of them except Leanne met his eye, and Harry knew it wasn't her. His eyes lingered longest on Matt, but he forced himself to look away, knowing that the longer he looked the more he would convince himself of Matt's guilt. He couldn't help but see a shifty expression on Matt's face, but he knew he could just be seeing what he wanted to see.

"Are you okay Harry?" Hermione asked, gingerly placing a restraining hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry nodded, recognising the unspoken plea for calm, and he mentally shook himself, relaxing his aggressive posture and sitting back down in the red armchair. Shakily, Hermione asked the class what Harry had asked them and, after getting no more a reaction than Harry did, she dismissed them. The class strode out of the door, some looking afraid, most looking puzzled. When the last member of the class, (Leanne, who had briefly checked on Harry personally), had left the room, Hermione shut the door and made it so that no one could hear through it. She peered at Harry for a moment as she conjurored a chair for herself, which she promptly fell back into.

"Are you alright?" she repeated cautiously. Harry nodded.

"Sorry to get so angry back then," he said in a slightly muted voice, not meeting Hermione's eyes, "I don't know what came over me."

"No, no," Hermione reassured him instantly, "I don't blame you at all. Anyone would have been upset; I just wanted to say thanks for not flying off the handle. I know Ron would have arrested the entire classes until someone talked!" Harry allowed himself a small smile at this image, but continued to puzzle over the incident.

"Do you think whoever did it meant it as a joke, or was actually malicious?" Harry asked, absent-mindedly trying to flatten his hair. "Or could it have been an accident?"

"Well..." Hermione started slowly, obviously slightly uneasy as to what she was about to say, "I know you'd like to know who did it and if they meant you any harm, but it's quite possible that it was an accident. The last charm we were practising, hair removal, is not too far away from the reductor curse, which would quite easily knock you off your feet. The reductor curse only reduces objects, not people or animals. They just get hit by it."

"Which makes it much better," Harry remarked dryly, and he couldn't help rolling his eyes slightly. Hermione visibly relaxed, and she let out a small giggle. "I'm going to go and see Ginny," he said, getting to his feet. "I'll see you soon, okay?" Hermione nodded and they both got to their feet. Harry gave her a quick hug before leaving the classroom, and heading for the hospital wing.

*

Ginny, it transpired, had been diagnosed with a strong bout of "Weasleyitis", in the words of Madam Pomfrey. "She appears to have eaten lots of those beastly sweets in one go," the nurse told Harry in her ringing, impatient tones. "A bet I daresay?" She didn't wait for Ginny to answer, instead shooing them both away from the hospital ward and bustling back in to attend to another patient. Ginny was suppressing a laugh with difficulty, which she let out as soon as they were out of earshot.

"What happened?" said Harry, beaming as he couldn't help but be caught up in Ginny's infectious laughter. Ginny took a few moments to compose herself.

"Oh, I'm not laughing about that," she said, putting an arm around Harry's waist, still breathing with a bit of difficulty. "It's about the boy who was brought in after me..." Ginny explained about how the boy had been out on a secret date with someone else from Ravenclaw, and they had been on a broomstick sitting on top of one of the turrets. But on their way back down the girl had given the boy a kiss on the neck that had distracted him so much that he had fallen off his broom. Upon completion of this tale Ginny burst into fits of giggles again, and Harry had to wait until they were almost out of the castle before he could ask the question that was burning in his head.

"How did you get ill? I can't believe you'd eat lots for a bet..." Harry trailed off and Ginny's forehead creased into a frown.

"I've been wondering about that," she said, guiding Harry out of the Entrance Hall and in the direction of Hagrid's house. "I just became really ill when I was in the library..."

"With Matt?" Harry finished for her. Ginny gave him a startled look.

"How did you know that?" she asked, and Harry was astonished to see the colour rising in her cheeks. "Were you watching me?" Her voice had risen slightly and Harry quickly explained about the room of requirement and the cracking sound that he had heard. Ginny looked as puzzled as Harry felt. "So there was no one there?"

"Nope," Harry shook his head. There was a moment of contemplative silence. "So... did you do anything in the library which could have made you feel ill? Eat something?"

"Well..." she paused and Harry could see a slightly guilty expression crossing her face, "Matt brought some sweets in which we kept under the table..." Her expression changed to one of confusion. "But I can't see that being the cause of my feeling ill." Harry could not see any reason why Matt would make Ginny ill if he liked her and he had to concede that, although he didn't trust Matt's relatively open courtship of Ginny, he didn't think that he was responsible.

Instead of speculating on this subject Harry instead told Ginny about the classroom incident that had taken place just a few minutes before. As well as outraged surprise Ginny offered an extra insight and view that Harry hadn't thought of.

"Was this in Hermione's classroom on the third floor?" she asked, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"No, she had to be moved to the ground floor as it was a practical lesson," Harry said, wondering where this was going. "Her one on the third floor is a bit small for that sort of thing. Why?"

"Can you remember if the window was open?" she asked, stopping outside Harry's cabin and looking him straight in the eye. Harry thought for a moment. He pondered standing watching Matt struggle to transform Leanne's hair as it was fluttering so badly in the breeze just before the end of the class. Indeed, that had been the moment that Harry had been unable to help laughing at Matt.

"It was..." he said, pausing as he realised the ramifications of this. "Do you think someone could have been stood outside the window?"

"Only option I can see," she said, shrugging slightly and giving him a quick kiss, "but sadly I can't stay. I've already missed Hermione's lesson and I don't think I should miss Emily's too." Harry laughed although he was a bit sad that Ginny was leaving so soon, but he appreciated that she had walked down with him. He watched her go before turning into his new cottage, where Dobby instantly met him with a large mug of tea.

"Thanks Dobby," Harry said gratefully, slumping down into his armchair. "It's been an interesting morning," he mused aloud.

"Is Master Harry okay?" Dobby asked in his squeaky manner.

"I'm alright," Harry said, "Just had some strange stuff going on. This morning I helped Hermione to teach a class and I got attacked from behind." Dobby let out the appropriate shocked gasp.

"Did you see who is doing it?" Dobby asked, his eyes even wider than usual, a feat that Harry found both amusing and disturbing.

"No, sadly not," he said, and Harry couldn't help but be amused at the disappointed slump in Dobby's shoulders. "I thought it might be Matt at first, but I think it is more likely that the charm came through the window. So I've no idea who did it..."

"Is this Master Taylor that you is telling me about yesterday?" Dobby asked, and Harry nodded. "The one you think is in love with my Mistress?"

"That's the one," Harry said, sighing and taking his glasses off so that he could rub his eyes. "But maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see." He absent-mindedly ran his hand through his hair again. "Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see."

*

Harry received an invitation from Dumbledore the next morning to have a lesson with him the following week. Harry had to admit to himself that he was very relieved about this; he had been getting worried about the lack of interaction with Dumbledore. He also hoped that he could use the opportunity to find out what Dumbledore had been up to recently during his time away from Hogwarts.

Harry's next few days were spent either in the Room of Requirement or helping Hermione, Emily or Hagrid with their duties. He had got up to the most difficult stage of the Quidditch Chamber and had been spending a lot of time in the Animagus training section. The muggle games area had been basically ignored entirely, and the time spent in the library had been negligible. The lessons with Hermione and Emily had been fairly straight forward, but the time helping Hagrid tend to the animals and creatures of the forest had been strange. There was a definite sense in the forest of unrest, one which Harry felt most when conversing with the herd of centaurs who patrolled the forests.

They were clearly rattled. When Harry found himself helping Hagrid to tend to an old male centaur who had somehow managed to impale himself on an exposed tree limb, the fallen centaur spoke of his herd's growing unease.

"There is something not quite right in the world, Hagrid and Harry Potter," he said in a slow, mournful voice. "We centaurs look to the future, but there is a feeling amongst the herd of an evil, something as intangible as silence but as inescapable as the breeze. It is out there, Hagrid and Harry Potter, and it is coming."

Whilst on their way back out of the forest Hagrid brushed this talk away as "centaur-nonsense", but Harry was not so sure, and his looming meeting with Dumbledore somehow increased his suspicions. He headed up to the castle on the evening of his meeting with no small amount of trepidation. Did Dumbledore want to see him just about talking to the next realm, or was there something more? What was the magical object needed to communicate? These two questions chased each other around Harry's head as he wound his way through the surprisingly quiet corridors. He reached the gargoyle and, after giving the password, (which had not changed from "Honeydukes"), stepped onto the moving staircase which stopped facing the door of Dumbledore's office. He paused for a moment and adjusted his robes, before knocking on the door.

"Enter," a voice answered at once, and Harry opened the door to find Dumbledore getting to his feet, his arms outstretched. "Good evening Harry," he said warmly, and he surprised Harry by embracing him. Although Dumbledore was one of the strongest advocates of love and affection, he and Harry had only embraced on a couple of important occasions, like Harry's return from the next realm and his marriage to Ginny. Despite that the embrace was obviously meant as a welcome and a reassurance, the fact that it had happened at all served to make Harry very nervous. What was so significant?

"Please, sit," Dumbledore said, indicating the usual chair in front of the desk as he released Harry. Harry sank slowly down into the seat, his hands falling heavily on the arm rests as Dumbledore sat himself behind his desk, placing his elbows softly on the table, his hands pressed together as if in prayer. He was looking Harry directly in the eye with that piercing gaze, but Harry could detect no hint of the worry that Mr Weasley was evidently suffering from.

"First of all, Harry," Dumbledore began, his blue eyes not leaving Harry's green ones, "I must thank you for helping Professors Hilier, Granger and Hagrid. I know that they all very much appreciate your assistance." Harry blushed appropriately and made to wave it away, a gesture Dumbledore obviously found slightly amusing as the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. "I'm sure you must have questions as to where I have been recently?"

"I'm sorry sir?" Harry asked, completely caught off guard by Dumbledore's frankness. Dumbledore smiled broadly.

"Whether you were intending to inquire or not about my recent activities, I think it is only right that you are kept informed," he said softly, adjusting his glasses. "You see, I have been involved in activity on two fronts. The first I have just been discussing with the Minister. We have been trying to investigate the activities of Andromidus and Regalus. It seems that they somehow planted a memory inside Charlie Holloway's head. I know that you are already aware of this, being the one who spotted it," [Harry could have sworn that Dumbledore gave him a small wink at this point] "but still it is important as it is the place where our investigations began.

"We have been able to prove through experimentation that the memory could have been planted earlier," Dumbledore said, once more examining his long slender fingers, "but we cannot prove that this is what has actually happened. I'm afraid that, technically, we cannot rule out the spell being cast within Godric's Hollow, although I personally do not doubt any member of the Order." He paused, and his mouth twitched slightly. "Though Alastor of course disagrees."

There was a brief silence as Harry took this in. He didn't know if he felt relieved or unnerved by this information. Like Dumbledore, Harry had been vocally very much of the trusting disposition, but since the incidents outside the room of requirement, (which he was admittedly becoming less sure about), and in Hermione's class earlier, he was becoming more than a little paranoid. Deciding not to tell Dumbledore this, Harry waited until his former headmaster spoke again.

"The investigations into the memory planting are part of the much larger and further reaching search for Regalus, Andromidus, and all their associated Secret Elite members. This is a hefty workload for Arthur and for the Aurors as a whole, as your friend Mr Ronald Weasley may have told you, as it incorporates the hunt for missing witches and wizards as well as memory modification in muggle areas. I won't deny that the mission has not, as yet, been very successful, and that as you may have noticed, Arthur is suffering more than somewhat." Harry looked up at Dumbledore to see that Mr Weasley was not the only one who looked tired. The sparkle was still there in Dumbledore's eyes but, to Harry, it didn't seem as bright as it had been in the past. There was a slight air of weariness that permeated all of Dumbledore's words and actions, weariness that Harry had been so shocked to discover when Dumbledore had first shown Harry his new cottage across the lake. Dumbledore must have realised what Harry was thinking as he rearranged his face into its reassuringly familiar position.

"The other avenue I have been exploring is with Master Brian Hinks," he said conversationally and Harry, although he had expected it, sat up a little straighter in his chair. "I have been trying with the help of Aaron and Lucy to keep an eye on him, and have been visiting him in person to find out how he is growing up. I am sorry to say that he is an angry child who is quick to lose his temper and his evident magical control. If he had a wand I think he would have injured several people by now. I have tried to engage the child in conversation, yet sadly without success."

"Will I get to meet him, sir?" Harry asked quietly, knowing full well that he sounded just like a child himself. Dumbledore smiled.

"I am sure at some point a meeting should be possible, yes," he answered. "But anyway, this evening we are here to discuss the manner in which it is possible to converse with the next realm.

"You may remember that last time we met I told you that there was an incantation, a wand movement and a considerable amount of concentration?" he asked, and Harry nodded. "I also mentioned that we would require a magical object. It is on the desk in front of you."

Harry, who had not even looked at the table between them, lowered his gaze, before returning it to Dumbledore's face. "A pensieve?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore answered, turning the pensieve around to face Harry. "I designed the pensieve" [Harry gave a small jolt of surprise at Dumbledore's casual admittance that he had created the pensieve] "first of all to store my thoughts and memories but also as vessel for a form of general mind enhancement. This became part of my experiments to see if there was a way of communicating with the dead. As you know, I succeeded."

"The incantation and wand movement, while crucial, are both very simple. You raise your wand until it is pointing behind you" [Dumbledore did so] "and then flick it forward as if you were throwing something." He mimed whipping his wand forwards until it was directed at a height roughly level with Harry's head. "When the wand movement stops the incantation, "_Vita mens ponsus",_ must be spoken clearly but quietly. The concentration lies, perhaps strangely, on a place."

"The veil room?" Harry asked, remembering about Godric heading to the veil room to talk to Dumbledore.

"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "You must focus on the veil room not in this world, but in the next. Your counterpart, which will always be Godric or, one day, myself, must focus on the person they are speaking to. When you are focussed enough you perform the wand movement and incantation, although this time your wand will not end up here," [he held his wand where he had last stopped] "but instead in the pensieve itself."

Dumbledore looked up at the clock. "It is time Harry. I have arranged for Godric to be ready for this moment and, today, I will just be demonstrating. You will have the opportunity to attempt it next time, as it is draining for both Godric and for myself. Are you ready?" Harry nodded and Dumbledore raised his wand. He held it firmly for a few moments, his eyes closed, the wand tip pointing at an area of the room behind him, before he swished the wand forwards and plunged it into the pensieve.

"Vita mens ponsus," he said quietly and, almost instantly, the face of Godric Gryffindor swam into view.

"Good evening Albus!" his voice echoed jovially around the headmaster's office, seemingly without a source. "And good evening Harry! I have been speaking to the group and everyone would like to send their love and best wishes."

"And from us likewise," Dumbledore answered with a smile.

"I know we haven't got long Albus," Godric said, seeming to frown in concentration, "but I've been speaking to Sirius about Andromidus. It seems that, as a teenager, Andromidus was taken from the Black household. The summer before Andromidus' fifth year he went out to Diagon Alley with the family and, after going for a moment to explore Knockturn Alley, the family could not find him again. It seems that over a year later the Black family found out that Andromidus was with Voldemort, although they had suspected as such for a long time, and that Voldemort had taken an unusual interest in the boy. It seems that Voldemort had had some sort of premonition, or as close to a gut feeling as someone like Voldemort can have, and was counting on Andromidus' heritage that he would prove to be a very strong addition to his Death Eaters."

"He wasn't wrong," Harry couldn't help himself answer, and Godric grinned in a manner that reminded Harry forcefully of the elderly headmaster stood next to him.

"Quite. Voldemort then went on to train Andromidus personally, devoting an unnatural amount of time to corrupting and educating him before using him to form the Secret Elite. As soon as this was done Andromidus informed Regalus and he too left to join the group, although, as we know, his death was faked. This is all Sirius was able to tell me."

"Thank you Godric," Dumbledore said quietly, taking this in. "Thank Sirius for me will you?" Godric nodded, before bidding them both goodbye, and his face faded from view. Dumbledore was frowning slightly, as if what had just happened had cost him a lot of effort. "Thank you for coming this evening Harry, although I fear we must stop there. I will inform you as to our next meeting." Harry, who was also still standing, nodded at his headmaster before leaving the room.


	13. Chapter 13 End Of An Era

Chapter 13 - End of an era

The following afternoon found Harry strolling down the Hogwarts lawns towards the boar-flanked Hogwarts gates. It was a Saturday, but not a Hogsmeade weekend, so Harry's walk in to the small wizarding village was a peaceful one. The late October sun was shining properly for probably the last time of the year, and a nice breeze threw the golden-red forest leaves across the path. They rustled pleasantly under Harry's feet as he forged his way past Honeydukes, Zonko's and another shop that had the sign "under new owners" written across the top in handwriting that made Harry suspect that Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was coming to Hogsmeade, until he reached his destination: The Three Broomsticks. As he entered he spotted two people who would, several years ago, have been the most unlikely pair or drinking buddies: Malfoy and Ron.

"Hey Harry," Ron said, grinning up at him from over his butterbeer as Harry took a seat at their table.

"It's everyone's favourite knight in shining armour!" Malfoy said, setting down his own glass and smirking as he pushed a third towards Harry, who took a grateful swig.

"How're you two?" Harry asked, taking another gulp of his butterbeer and sending the pair of them into hysterics as he managed to spill some down the front of his robes.

"Very suave," Malfoy commented, regaining control as Harry siphoned off the drink with his wand. "I'm alright, working at the Ministry with the Misuse of Magic office." Harry couldn't tell if the tone was smug or sullen, but didn't press for answers.

"Auror's have been busy I imagine?" Harry asked Ron, who rolled his eyes.

"Like you wouldn't believe. I was just telling Draco about some of the raids we've been on recently. You definitely made the right move in going in for a career in Quidditch."

"Yeah, that's proved to be much less dangerous," Malfoy remarked drily, rolling his eyes. "One hundred percent kidnap rate so far." Ron and Harry laughed. "So how come you're living at Hogwarts?" Malfoy asked. "For all the sexy seventh years?"

"Nah, just for the new Transfiguration teacher," Harry said, laughing as Ron looked mutinous. "She is just lovely. Great kisser too." Malfoy roared with laughter as he watched Ron's face move past red and onto the maroon colour of his pyjamas. "I'm joking Ron, I'm joking!" Harry said, throwing up his hands as Ron prepared to jinx Harry. He put his wand down, smiling ruefully.

"I was only going to use the Cruciatus curse," Ron said, grinning and shrugging at the same time. "Nothing painful."

"Quite," Harry answered shortly. He knew Ron wouldn't have used that curse, but at that moment he didn't know whether Ron would have used a jelly-legs jinx or something similarly annoying yet painless. He quickly went back to answering the question. "Well, it's just, after what happened with Neville, I wasn't sure how safe Godric's Hollow was. They said they just wanted to keep an eye on Ginny to let me know how serious they were. I know it could well have just been a bluff to keep me scared. If it was, it worked very well."

Ron made a sympathetic noise, or what was obviously meant to be a sympathetic noise but actually came out more like a snort. "How's life with you and Gra- Hermione?" Malfoy asked, almost lapsing back into old habits. "Pushed the beds together yet?" Harry roared with laughter as Ron threw a drink's mat at Malfoy's head.

"As a matter of fact, Malfoy," Ron said through gritted teach, punctuating every gap with the launch of another coaster, something which reminded Harry so forcefully of Hermione that he couldn't help but laugh even harder, until tears were beginning to stream out of his eyes. "As a matter of fact," Ron resumed, "she is currently living at Hogwarts most nights now." Harry and Malfoy exchanged a glance at the undoubtedly resentful tone in Ron's voice whilst Ron ducked down to pick up a drink's mat to put his butterbeer back on.

"That, err," Malfoy started, obviously trying to think of a tactful way of putting it, "must be a bit difficult."

"No, it's alright," Ron said, although his tone and downcast eyes, told the real story. Harry shot Malfoy a look that said plainly to change the subject.

"Well, I don't know if you've heard," Malfoy started quickly, although obviously moving onto something he had wanted to talk about since Harry had arrived, "But I've been talking to my father again."

"Your dad?" Harry hadn't been able to keep the slight hatred out of his voice, and Malfoy noticed it.

"I know and understand why you'd be thinking that," he said, obviously searching for a way to phrase it, "but I really think he's changing his ways. He's not the man he was: hating muggles; being angry; he even asked me to apologise to you two next time I saw you."

"He mentioned us specifically?" said Ron disbelievingly.

"Yep," Malfoy answered immediately and emphatically, "Along with Dumbledore and some other members of the Order but yes, you two in particular."

"That's quite an improvement," Harry said, sensing that Ron was looking very sceptical and that Malfoy was seeking to elicit some sort of positive response. "How did he speak to you?"

"Very apologetically," Malfoy answered, sounding both grateful and pleased. "I think he's really turned a corner. Whilst he was a very active Death Eater he never actually committed murder, although I'm not seeking to absolve his sins, there is a possibility that he will be released."

"Just like that?" Ron asked, showing his magnificent level of tact at its full level. Malfoy couldn't help but look slightly crestfallen and Harry shot Ron a reproachful look, although Malfoy rearranged his face a second later.

"Pending a veritaserum test," Malfoy eventually responded, "although he would have to meet a ministry supervisor twice a week. He'd also have to be restricted to his home for a month, and to England for six months."

"Small price to pay," muttered Ron, so only Harry could hear. Harry kicked him under the table.

"When will the veritaserum test take place?" Harry asked curiously. "And where?"

"At the ministry in a couple of weeks." Malfoy answered quickly. "It's as simple as it sounds. Dad would be given a thorough questioning, probably over two hours worth, whilst under the influence of veritaserum. If he hasn't really changed, he'll be found out. If he has..."

"He'll be let out," Ron finished, sullenly. Harry kicked him again under the table, something Malfoy must have noticed for his smirk returned.

"Children," he chided sarcastically, and he smirked even wider when he saw Ron look up at Madame Rosmerta's reappearance at the bar. Harry knew that it meant nothing and he too found it extremely funny, although Hermione certainly did not. Ron started talking about Fred and Angelina, who had apparently recently celebrated their six months' anniversary, although Harry knew Ron had just changed the subject to avoid the mocking that he had been about to receive.

*

Harry spent the rest of the evening in the Room of Requirement. The "Not Yet" zone had not changed in the slightest bit, and so Harry had, for the first time, actually used the library. He researched the veritaserum test and Lucius Malfoy's history. Although he did feel a small pang of guilt he quickly suppressed it with his curiosity. The test had never been beaten and there was little in Malfoy's history that Harry didn't know, although he did smile at the recording of Dobby's employment and subsequent freedom. He didn't mention this to Dobby when he got home and, eventually, turned in.

His sleep did not last for long. He was awoken by Fang barking that insane, terrified burst of noise that Harry knew so fondly and so well. However this was not a couple of one off, scare-the-birds style yaps. This was continuous, petrified noise making.

"What's up you dozy-" Harry heard Hagrid emerging from his cabin, and Harry, pulling on his robes, hurried from his own cottage.

It was immediately apparent what Fang was concerned about.

A group of about fifteen Death Eaters were racing up the lawn, heads bent, intent on getting away from the racket that Fang was making. Hagrid, spotting Harry, gestured towards them and they both began to chase afterwards. Harry sent a patronus into the castle to raise the alarm, but his patronus also alerted the Death Eaters to his presence. Within seconds of his firing the stag off into the night a killing curse had been launched back at him, and was only thanks to Hagrid's timely shoulder barge that Harry avoided being hit. He looked up to see Hagrid draw his wand, (Harry remembered that Dumbledore was teaching Hagrid magic in his spare time), and, as Hagrid fired a simple stunning spell into the midst of the group Harry transfigured into a thestral and tore off into the night sky. Quickly overhauling them, Harry transfigured again into a hippogriff, crashing into them with his talons raised high. With the slash of his wings and feet he knocked four of them out cold and then flying off again before any of the others could retaliate. Realizing that being outside they were an easier target, the Death Eaters redoubled their efforts and, as one of them magically opened the entrance hall doors, they climbed the steps. Before they even entered the castle however, they were stopped in their tracks as Albus Dumbledore, flanked by Hermione, Emily, Flitwick and Professor Diggory stood framed in the light spilling from the castle.

Dumbledore raised his wand and, flicking it casually, he sent a golden net around the Death Eaters. "I will allow you one opportunity to leave, Andromidus. Leave this school now and no one need be hurt."

"And why would I do that?" Andromidus' jeering response seemed to be also loaded with malice that Harry, who was now perched directly above the Death Eaters in Phoenix form, found highly disturbing.

"Because, I gave the same option to your master, Tom Riddle," Dumbledore answered calmly. "He declined my offer and was defeated by Mr Potter. I would suggest that you avoid a similar fate." Harry watched as a couple of Death Eaters glanced at each other, but the two at the front, obviously Regalus and Andromidus, did not turn their masked faces away.

"So be it," said Andromidus, sighing softly. Then, with a flick of his wand, the golden net vanished into thin air and he began raining spells down on the five in the door way. With yells the remaining Death Eaters, of whom there were about ten, charged forwards towards Dumbledore.

Dumbledore and Hermione were first to react. Blocking instinctively the pair started returning spells at the would-be attackers. They seemed to be working as a team, Hermione raining down obstructions, trip jinxes and other delaying spells whilst Dumbledore calmly knocked them out cold. However it was taking the combined efforts of Mr Diggory, Emily and Flitwick just to hold Andromidus off and Harry, seeing Regalus break free from the group, dived into the fray. He raced down straight into Regalus, transforming on the moment of impact and so throwing the full weight of a roaring lion into Sirius' brother. The two of them tumbled immediately off the stone steps and onto the open grassy lawn.

Harry had transformed back before Regalus, whose mask had fallen off, had returned to his feet. There was a brief moment where they faced each other, seething anger etched into their faces, before they began duelling. Harry started attacking on all fronts. His lessons with Hugh McMan in the Auror training facility had taught him that attack was, in open combat where there was no natural feature to take advantage of, the best form of defence. Harry fired stunning spells and impediment jinxes but all were met with Regalus' unfailing defence. Soon Harry found himself having to dodge spells of his own, so he started to retreat towards the lake. This gave the impression of his being forced backwards, whereas the opposite was true. Harry was using himself as a lure, bringing Regalus towards the lake. Harry backtracked down the slope towards the lake front.

At the exact moment that Regalus reached the top of the slope, cackling madly with triumphant glee, Harry acted. Whipping his wand around his head in a lasso manner, seemingly half the lake into the sky and, with all his might and the magic of his visit to the golden room, he launched it at his foe.

Regalus never stood a chance. The flood of water crashed down upon his head, instantly knocking him to the floor, but, before Harry got the chance to subdue and capture him, Regalus was swept back into the lake. Borne upon a tidal wave of fury, Harry watched helplessly as Regalus sank out of sight, never to rise again. Harry stood stock still for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest, before a flash of light and a bang from the castle behind him reminded him of the continuing battle raging within.

Harry hastened up the steps, the flashes of light becoming more and more regular. Harry entered the entrance hall as Hagrid was hit by three stunning spells at once. Hagrid however, shrugged them off as if nothing had happened, casting his own rudimentary but powerful stunning spell back at one of them. Harry quickly fired off his own jinxes and followed the cracks and explosions echoing from the great hall.

Upon entering Harry immediately noticed three things. On his left, all but one of the Death Eaters were unconscious and trussed up by thick, shimmering cords of something Harry didn't recognise. On his left he could see Hermione and Flitwick attending to a bleeding Professor Diggory and a heavily breathing Emily Hilier, who was watching the third event. In the middle of the room, Dumbledore and Andromidus were duelling with terrifying ferocity. The great hall was already strewn with rubble and scorch marks, the enchanted ceiling above was roaring with the violence of a tempestuous, raging storm. Jagged lighting and rolling thunder clouds crackled and fought in the blood red magical sky above the battle taking place on the ground below.

Andromidus' ability was astonishing. Despite all the emotions Harry felt he was unnerved to find that he was admiring Andromidus' skill as a wizard. Casting spells every second he launched attack after attack at Dumbledore, with terrifying power and variety. Distracting explosions; pit falls which Dumbledore had to counteract, whilst firing stunning spells, vicious jinxes and murderous killing curses. Dumbledore was battling back with equal vigour. Andromidus sent a tongue of fire which Dumbledore doused and tried to drench Andromidus with, but Andromidus cast a blocking shield above himself whilst sending an electric ripple across the room which sent Harry flying into the wall behind him, but which Dumbledore somehow withstood.

With blurry vision Harry staggered to his feet as Dumbledore cast a shining rope like that which kept the other prisoners trapped, and it seemed as though he had managed to suppress the mighty Death Eater, but Andromidus flicked his wand and the air exploded with a gas that shrouded both duellers in an orb of fiery yellow colour. Within this new orb Harry could see more flashes of light but, as the orb melted away Harry saw something he would never forget.

Dumbledore lifted his wand for the tiniest fraction of a second, preparing to cast some other spell back at his foe and, at a seemingly impossible speed, Andromidus struck. A jet of green light exploded from his wand, striking Dumbledore directly in his midriff. Dumbledore's face shrank back into a sort of peaceful, relaxed death mask as he arched back through the air, as Sirius had in the department of mysteries, before sliding to a rest on the floor. Harry became only numbly aware that Andromidus was running past him out of the room, his eyes still fixed on his fallen headmaster.

It's not true, Harry though desperately, although his subconscious was already reeling with shock and grief. Harry staggered backwards, his arm resting on the door to support him, before he raced out of the door after Andromidus. He could hear Hagrid roaring behind him, howling with grief, but Harry was focussed only on Andromidus. He saw him ahead as he emerged into the ground. He was tearing over the hillside, and Harry thought he could see another figure ahead. Harry took aim.

"Avada Kedavra!" A ray of green erupted like a bullet out of his wand, impossible to avoid but, somehow, at the very last second, there was a loud cracking noise, and Andromidus apparated out of the grounds. Registering dumbly that this should be impossible, Harry dropped to his knees as he felt something explode in his head, and he let the waves of unconsciousness overwhelm him, his vision turned to black, and he slumped to the floor.


	14. Chapter 14 Rebuilding The Order

Chapter 14 - Rebuilding the Order

Harry woke up in a hospital bed to find Hermione asleep in the chair next to him. There was a faint layer of light sliding through the gaps in the blinds in the window opposite Harry's bed, illuminating the large stack of letters on the table at the far end of Harry's bed. However, it was the newspaper that had fallen from Hermione's hand onto the floor that caught Harry's eye. Still a bit groggy, he reached down over the side and picked it up, and found there were actually several copies of the Daily Prophet on the floor underneath. Pulling on his glasses and looking at the dates, Harry realised that he must have been unconscious for several days. Looking at the headline of the earliest one, Harry felt grief well up inside him as the last thing he could remember swam into his mind.

"The end of an era: Albus Dumbledore killed in battle at Hogwarts." Beneath it was the subtitle: "Harry Potter in critical condition in St. Mungos."

Harry's mind raced over the last thing he could remember: chasing Andromidus from the grounds, and hearing a crack as he apparated out of Hogwarts. Numbly registering again that this was impossible, he pondered over the subtitle. Why was he in critical condition? There had been no spell from Andromidus' wand before he apparated out of the grounds, but then how had there been that much pain, enough to force him into an unconscious heap on the floor?

And who had the mysterious figure been? Because, through the pain that was becoming ever more palpable, Harry's certainty of the existence of a second figure was rising also. Who else could have hit him with that spell? No one from behind, the pain was in his head and throbbing chest, and not from Andromidus. The spell had come from ahead, from a small, shadowy figure barely discernable against the moonlit forest that had marked the end of Harry's field of vision. Harry could not remember anything else beyond this and, just as the thoughts about Dumbledore returned, he dropped the paper onto the floor, and Hermione awoke next to him.

"Oh, Harry!" she exclaimed, her tired face, scarred by grief and worry, lighting up as she leapt up and gave Harry a tight hug, which she loosened as Harry gave a twinge of discomfort. "Oh you're okay!"

"Just about," Harry said wearily, adjusting his pillow so he could sit upright, "what time is it? My watch seems to have been broken."

Hermione yawned and craned her neck to look at the clock in the hallway. "Just past six o'clock in the morning. You would have to wake up at dawn wouldn't you?" She gave Harry a small smile. "Shall I go and get everyone else? Some are at Godric's Hollow and some are in the Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid couldn't fit into any of the beds in your house." Her smile broadened slightly, but Harry was frowning.

"Why isn't he at Hogwarts?" he asked, and by the look on Hermione's face, he found that he knew already. "It's been closed, hasn't it?"

Hermione nodded, her face going suddenly slightly pale. "I think it's only temporary, the Aurors are going over the whole place, trying to ensure that there are no holes in the protection of the school."

"And to find out how he -" Harry paused for a moment, before collecting himself again, " how Andromidus escaped." Hermione nodded, the worry lines etching themselves deeper into her head. "He had help. There was someone else," Harry continued, and Hermione blanched.

"Someone else? But we caught everyone else!" Hermione's face darkened. "Unless Regalus escaped also?"

Harry shook his head vehemently. "Absolutely not. I saw – I saw him die. He drowned. I couldn't save him."

"He was trying to kill you Harry," Hermione reminded him gently, before drawing something out of her pocket and tapping it lightly with her wand, mumbling something as she did.

"What are you doing?" said Harry, sitting himself up straighter on his bed. Hermione held up a coin.

"It's from the D.A.," she explained, tapping the coin once more before placing it back in her pocket, "so that when they wake up they'll know." A tired and small smile briefly flitted across Harry's face, while Hermione filled Harry in as to what had been going on in his absence.

"Well, obviously the wizarding world is terrified," Hermione started, casually tapping the window with her wand to let a pleasant draft creep into the room, "but there has been no sign of Andromidus or any other Death Eaters since that day. We caught all the rest that were there, but we know from you and Neville that there were quite a few more than those that showed up at Hogwarts."

"I wonder why they didn't bring all of them..." Harry mused aloud, asking himself more than anyone else. "Maybe they could only get a certain number in?"

"I had that thought too," Hermione answered, nodding, "as there seems to be no indication that they broke through the charms at all! And yet, obviously, they found a way. They found a way around Dumbledore's personal protection..." She trailed off and the enormity of what had happened struck Harry again: not only was Dumbledore dead, but he had been overpowered. Harry knew that his own magic had been enhanced by his visit into the Golden Room and by Dumbledore's own "gift" of Occlumancy and Legilimancy, but there was no match for raw talent. Andromidus had obviously had both in huge quantities. Harry's thoughts were interrupted however, as the doors nearly burst off its hinges as Hagrid barged in.

"Harry!" Hagrid yelled, running forward and pulling Harry into one of his now legendary painful embraces.

"Morning Hagrid!" Harry gasped through Hagrid's suffocating grip, until eventually Hagrid drew back. "Are you okay?"

"Better than you by the looks of it," Hagrid said with a broad grin on his face, a smile which slid away when he spotted the newspapers by Harry's bedside. Hermione quickly got to her feet and stood in the way under the pretence of giving Hagrid a fleeting hug.

"The rest'll be on their way soon I 'spect," Hagrid continued, unusually managing to get a grip on himself before getting too emotional. "I'll get out o' yer hair." With a small sad smile, Hagrid departed, leaving Hermione and Harry to share pensieve glances.

*

Whilst Harry's recovery rejuvenated everyone, Ron and Ginny particularly, the atmosphere was subdued over the next few days. Dumbledore's funeral took place at Hogwarts two days after Harry recovered. Harry was sat at the front in a wheelchair, the rest of the Order and the Hogwarts teachers alongside him, with the rest of the school and seemingly half the wizarding populace gathered further back. The ceremony was conducted by an unfamiliar wizard who looked as aged as Dumbledore, a man who Harry eventually discovered to be Nicholas Flamel. There were speeches by Professor McGonagall and Mr Weasley, and pupils were offered the chance to lay wreathes and personal tributes beside the grave stone. There was to be no tomb for Albus Dumbledore; the will of Dumbledore left all he had to the school, and made only the request that he be laid to rest within the Hogwarts grounds.

Harry himself had been asked whether he wanted to speak, but he had known that he would not have any words to say. Dumbledore had been his mentor, a man who had stuck by him through all his troubles, who had both grieved and celebrated with him. He had been as close to a father as he could have hoped for: whilst Sirius had emboldened Harry and Mr Weasley had looked after him, Dumbledore had guided and taught Harry in a way that no other wizard had done. And now he was gone.

Andromidus had not been heard from since the attack on Hogwarts, and Harry was both burning with vengeful fury and petrifying horror. It had taken all his strength and the aid of others to defeat Voldemort, but Andromidus seemed to be something more. There was the mystique of the unknown about him; Harry had had no chance to prepare or time to understand his new opponent, or his past.

Then there was the Order, and Brian Hinks. There had not been a meeting of the Order since Dumbledore's death, (although Mad-Eye had made it clear that he wished to hold one soon), and Harry hadn't had a moment to check upon the progress of the child, or indeed on who was now keeping watch over him. The remembrance of those malicious eyes had once again begun to disturb him, and Harry knew that he could not postpone his meeting indefinitely.

*

The first meeting of the Order took place the day after the funeral. The entire Order was in attendance except for Mrs Weasley, who was watching over Brian Hinks for the day. One by one the Order arrived solemnly into the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. There was, as of yet, no sign of a portrait of Dumbledore, nor did Harry know if and when one would appear. Finally, with the Weasleys (save for Mrs Weasley), Hermione, Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall, Snape, Charlie, Aaron, Lucy and Harry present, Mad-Eye Moody cleared his throat.

"I know this is a difficult moment, but we do not have the luxury of time," he growled, his business-like manner juxtaposing against the sombreness that everyone else was feeling. "Andromidus is on the loose, and gathering forces to him again. We believe that his aim is to capture the child, Brian, and somehow resurrect Voldemort. Our priority, therefore, is to protect the child, and then to go after Andromidus."

"Where are Brian and his mother now?" asked Aaron.

"Molly's looking after them in a safe house near Coventry," Moody replied, both his eyes looking at Aaron, "but I'm not convinced that they should stay there."

"Would you rather we moved them constantly, Alastor?" Snape asked, lazily raising an eyebrow, "Or do you not think that ensuring that they are in one, safe and secure location would be sensible?"

"I just think we need to be vigilant," Moody growled, his magical eye swivelling around to look at Snape. "As was shown with the undetected entry into Hogwarts he has somehow found a way to pierce our outer defences, and I don't think it'd hurt to ensure he can never get a hold on anything for too long."

"I'm with Alastor," Mr Weasley agreed with a small nod and stretch. "I'll go and see Molly now and we'll look at moving him in a couple of hours to the Burrow, before finding somewhere new." He turned and, with a brief nod at the group in general, left the room.

"Thanks Arthur," Moody grunted as he left, before turning his attention back to the rest of the group. "What's the situation going to be here?" His eyes moved from Hermione, to Harry, to Hagrid, to Snape and then finally to Minerva McGonagall.

"I think we need to look through all the defences again," Harry answered quickly. "I know the Aurors are already going over them to find how they got in, I think we should be looking at new ways to prevent others from finding ways in."

"I agree," said Minerva briskly, "and I am happy to rejoin the Hogwarts staff temporarily should there be a need for me as an acting headmistress." Moody glanced at Snape, who gave a very small nod.

"When would Hogwarts reopen then?" Ron asked Moody, who seemed to have been delegated as the new leader of the Order, despite Mr Weasley's status as Minister for Magic. Moody paused.

"Once the defences have been rechecked and re-enforced then I think we should be able to let the kids back," he answered eventually. "Any questions?"

"I have one," Ginny asked, her voice unusually quiet sounding, as if she wasn't quite sure whether she should be asking this question at all. "Err.... when – when will Professor Dumbledore's portrait appear?"

Harry felt a pang in his stomach and there were several small gasps from around the room at the mention of Dumbledore's name. Her question was at Moody, who looked over at Minerva. "Ahem – it is, usually, a week after a new head-teacher has been found and officially inducted. We shall just have to see."

"So it isn't like the emberic paint at Godric's Hollow?" Harry inquired, confused.

"I believe it is the same magic," Minerva answered, frowning as if struggling to remember, "but it is not magic conjured by any individual witch of wizard. No one exactly knows how, but Al – Professor Dumbledore believed that it was the school itself that created the painting. No one, not even those in the paintings here, has seen or can even remember the arrival of a new painting."

After a few moments of silence, Moody ended the meeting. Harry walked Ginny back up to Gryffindor tower, although neither said much, and, as he kissed her goodbye at the portrait of the fat lady, Harry wondered how he would feel when he saw the headmaster's portrait.


	15. Chapter 15 The New Deputy Head Teacher

Short chapter: reviews for all that's happened so far would be appreciated…

Chapter 15 - The New Deputy Head-Teacher

Despite the fact that the Order was now regrouping, Harry could not help the fact that he didn't feel reassured at all. This feeling was compounded by the lack of direct activity in which he was partaking. The only activity he had been able to involve himself with was the re-opening of Hogwarts. Letters had been dispatched by owls to every family of Hogwarts attendees announcing the school's future and, although the option of home-schooling was still available, the vast majority of students were allowed to return.

The day of return, Harry found himself accompanying the Aurors with their final checks of Hogwarts protection. He had been assigned to the flying taskforce, who had the painstaking job of ensuring the network of spells around Hogwarts, particularly above the point where Andromidus was guessed to have disapparated, was covered, adding a spell to ensure that nobody with the Dark Mark could pass through, although Snape had been involved to allow himself access in and out. Harry had spent most of the day sat on a broom above his house, revolving at an infuriatingly low speed, his wand held in front of him as he muttered a string of incantations, leaving a hazy patch of sky around him.

About forty metres away from him on one side had been Ron. Their positions had taken agonisingly long to calculate, based on spell casting ability and the fact that circles would have to cross to ensure that there were no gaps in the shield.

"I'm hungry," Ron said abruptly. "When are we allowed back down? I'm starving!"

"What do you mean, allowed?" Harry laughed back. "You are an Auror! You know, the ones who make the laws? And you're the son of the Minister for Magic!"

Ron scowled. "If you feel like upsetting Mad-Eye be my guest! He's the one calling the shots!"

"Maybe you should ask McGonagall then!" Harry yelled back, chortling. "It is her school after all!"

"She may not be my teacher now but she still has the power to scare me!" Ron shouted back and, even though Harry could hear his stomach rumbling even from where he flew, he thought he saw Ron grinning to himself. Thinking quickly Harry cast a quick spell leaving a bright glowing arrow showing where he was flying and which direction he was aiming, before quickly diving back to the ground. Placing his broom on the ground for a second, he poked his head through the door of his house.

"Dobby," Harry said, as the little elf trotted into the room, "could you make Ron and I some afternoon tea?" Dobby bowed happily out of the room and, mere moments later, hurried back in with a plate of scones, almost falling over in his haste to pass the plates to Harry. Harry stooped quickly and, giving Dobby his thanks, took the warm plate outside. Conjuring another small plate, Harry got back on his broom and, after giving Ron half of them, flew back to where he had left the shining arrow.

"Cheers Harry!" Ron yelled, shoving a scone greedily into his mouth.

"Don't thank me, thank Dobby!" Harry shouted back, munching on a scone whilst continuing his spells. "Any word on whose going to be Deputy Head yet?"

Ron shook his head. "Hermione thinks Flitwick, but I reckon it'll be Snape." He scowled. "Has Emily put her name forward? She'd be good I think."

"Too new I expect, and isn't it normally a head of house? That'd rule out Snape, Slytherin doesn't exist anymore, remember?" Harry mused. "Sinistra?"

"Head of Hufflepuff? I barely know her except through our astronomy lessons." Ron munched on his scone, looking unusually thoughtful. "Well, we'll know soon enough. McGonagall said she'd announce one at dinner tonight."

"Good times!" Harry murmured, vanishing his plate as he finished the last scone. Surreptitiously summoning one of Ron's, he turned back to his defence casting, a small grin on his face.

*

Having finished their spell casting for the day, Harry and Ron sat recuperating in Harry's living room whilst Dobby served them butterbeer. Having fully discussed the recent national events, or more accurately the seeming lack of them, Harry checked his watch quickly before realising they were going to be late for dinner, when the new Deputy-Head teacher was due to be announced. Quickly changing out of their Auror robes, (Harry lent Ron some of his own casual robes), the pair hurried up the darkening lawns to the Great Hall. With an apologetic glance at Ron, who headed over to join Aaron and Lucy, Harry sat himself in his usual seat between Emily and Hermione.

"Has there been an announcement yet?" Harry asked Emily, but the question was answered by Professor McGonagall, who rose to her feet and the clamour in the Great Hall fell to silence.

"Good evening students," she started briskly, her eyes scanning the room with customary imperiousness, "As I am sure that you are aware this evening's feast is to celebrate the re-opening of the school, but also the appointment of your new deputy-head teacher." As Moody, Kingsley and Bill sidled into the room Harry glanced beyond Hermione and, like the rest of the hall, scanned the teachers. Snape was completely still, his face pointed towards McGonagall, Flitwick was barely visible beyond the enormous form of Rubeus Hagrid, who coughed nervously. Professor Sinistra, sat on Harry's side of the table was, like Harry, looking along the table. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.

"It gives me great pleasure to announce that the new Deputy-Head teacher of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is our transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor house, Professor Granger."

Harry turned in astonishment at Hermione who seemed to be torn between pride and embarrassment. The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers, members of the D.A also on their feet applauding as Hermione stood up, gave a brief smile and wave before quickly sitting down again.

"I trust," Professor McGonagall said loudly, as the cheering died down slowly, "That you shall treat her with the respect that her standing gives her. You may return to your common rooms now."

There was a great scraping of tables, with many students hurrying forward to congratulate Hermione. Harry gave her a strong embrace. "Congratulations!" he exclaimed, beaming at Hermione, who blushed but smiled back, "you kept that quiet!"

"I know, and I'm sorry," she said back, giggling slightly, "but Minerva asked that I keep it quiet from people, even Ron. Where is he?" Harry craned his neck and peered over towards the Aurors' table, where he saw Ron being congratulated by the others. Hermione beamed at what she saw but, after she turned away to speak to Emily, Harry saw Ron exit the hall, a blank look on his face. Excusing himself, remembering Ron's frustration in their Animagus lessons in their sixth year and fearing an attitude issue, Harry hurried out of the hall after him.

He found Ron sat outside, slightly away from the front steps, making the bushes change colour to freak out the animals nestled in there. Harry recognised this instantly as something Ron did to calm himself down – an ominous sign. Harry took in a deep breath, before heading over and sitting down next to him. Ron didn't even give him a glance.

"You okay, Ron?" Harry asked quietly, not looking directly at him, instead looking over at the now bright red bushes. "You left dinner pretty quickly."

The attempt at humour was only acknowledge through a tiny cough of mirthless laughter. "M'alright," he said thickly, although both knew it to be untrue. Harry desperately cast around for a subject, knowing that Ron was probably trying to do the same thing.

"Have I shown you the Room of Requirement?" Harry was unsurprised at the look of confusion on Ron's face.

"Yes…" Ron said slowly, looking worriedly at Harry, "You taught us there, remember?" Harry smiled to himself.

"C'mon," he said, getting to his feet before leading Ron up the familiar route to the Room of Requirement. Refusing to elaborate as to why they were going there, Harry led Ron into the room. Harry was satisfied by the impressed gasp Ron gave as the scene unfurled in front of them.

Harry realised that he hadn't been since the day Dumbledore died, and he wondered fleetingly whether the "Not Yet" section would be open, but he could see from where he was that it was not. Ron, however, was already on the far side of the room, looking at the Quidditch Chamber, where Harry was relatively unsurprised to find a second broom, hovering quite still in mid-air. Understanding the purpose in a flash, Ron leapt onto the broom, and Harry watched amazedly as Ron vanished from sight. Clambering onto the other broom, Ron suddenly reappeared next to him.

"Where did you go?" Ron asked.

"Probably just something to do with room," Harry answered, as they approached to four hoops. "Fancy being a seeker for once?"

Harry and Ron spent the best part of the evening playing Quidditch, both against and with each other, trying out each position and increasing the difficulty as they went along. Ron also had fun racing around the animagus training section, Harry yelling encouragement as Ron leapt across the ramps, trenches and, bizarrely, massive rolling-pin-esque structures. After a brief period in the relaxation section, (the two of them allowing the soft potions to take effect), they headed back down into the grounds, before heading their separate ways.


	16. Chapter 16 The Letter

Chapter 16 - The Letter

Harry didn't see much of Hermione at Hogwarts after her appointment as Deputy-Head, and Harry couldn't help but notice that she seemed to have immersed herself in her work a bit. The few times that Harry helped with her classes her smile at him seemed a little different, and Harry even had to rectify a few mistakes that she made, which Harry tried to paper over for the class by drawing their attention to something else. Harry thought Ginny had noticed it too as he saw her frowning a lot, and Harry supposed that, as Ron's sister, she was well aware of the slight tension that was conveyed whenever eye contact was made.

All thoughts of Ron and Hermione were driven out of his head a little over a week after the funeral when he overheard a discussion between Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape by the greenhouses just after lunch. Upon hearing the word "Dumbledore", Harry, feeling a little bit ashamed of himself, transformed into a phoenix and landed silently on top of greenhouse four.

"He's still not appeared?" came Professor Snape's low voice, as the two teachers came into view.

"There's been no sign at all," McGonagall replied worriedly, "although Phinneas Nigellus claims he saw him two nights ago, but that it wasn't there the following morning."

"Phinneas is not known for his honesty," Snape said, his mouth curling slightly. "And, if this were so, he would surely address Albus?"

"That is what I asked him, but all he said was that he fell asleep a moment later," she answered, still looking nervous. "There's never been more than a week's gap."

"Albus was never one who exactly fitted with… ordinary wizards," Snape responded slyly. "And you say the pensieve was missing?"

"That's one of the most disturbing things," she affirmed, her voice definitely wobbling now. Harry was stunned not only by the news, but also by her tone of voice. "I can only assume it was gone before he left…"

"Do you not remember seeing it?" Snape's eyebrows raised themselves questioningly. McGonagall gave a most-unlike-her shrug, something Snape noticed too. "You are upset?"

"Worried," she replied. "If Hogwarts is not performing as it usually does then we are all in trouble." Harry watched as they continued into the castle, knowing he couldn't follow them.

So Dumbledore's portrait was missing? It was concerning indeed: as McGonagall had said, if Hogwarts was malfunctioning in some way then no one was safe. Had Andromidus done more than kill Dumbledore? Had he somehow tampered with its magic – was that how he escaped? The questions chased each other around Harry's head as he transformed back into human form and headed down to his cottage.

As he approached the door, no less than three owls swooped down in front of him, clasping between them a heavy looking parcel, with a small letter on top of it. They set it down in front of him with a dull thud, and Harry thought he heard a swirl of liquid. Hastening forwards he quickly untied the owls, who hooted gratefully before wheeling away towards the owlery. Harry bent down and, scooping up the heavy parcel, entered the cottage. He sat down in the living room, the item placed carefully on the table, before leaning forwards and plucking out the attached letter.

He recoiled back in terror before he'd even opened the envelope. His heart throwing itself around his chest, his eyes refusing to accept what they were seeing, Harry found himself gasping for air. He closed his eyes carefully; sure he must be imagining it, before opening them and peering at the envelope again. There was no mistaking it. The familiar, slant like writing was so recognisable to him, for so many times he had received letters from the same person. The writing belonged to Albus Dumbledore. Collecting his wits, he ripped the envelope off and, with shaking hands, held out the letter.

_"Dear Harry,_

_If you are receiving this letter, then I have passed on to the next realm. One cannot escape one's destiny. I hope my passing was not too painful for either of us, and I hope you can take comfort from the fact that I am now with Sirius, Remus, Godric, and of course your dear parents. I know we will all be watching over you._

_As you have received this letter, it also means that we did not complete our lessons together. It is crucial that you should learn to converse with us in the next realm, so that we may better form a strategy against the Secret Elite. I have complete faith in your abilities and judgement in this matter. It is to this end that I have sent you my pensieve._

_It is my wish that, three weeks after my death, you use the pensieve at 9pm. I will be waiting to speak to you, even if it is only for a moment. I hope to speak to you across the Rift, as it is called, at the same time each night, until we can talk freely. I would happily converse with you from my portrait in Professor McGonagall's office if it gives you any comfort, but it is only through the pensieve that you may speak to me and Godric simultaneously._

_I hope to speak to you soon,_

_Yours, Albus Dumbledore."_

Harry sat back in chair, his eyes flicking between the letter, the parcel and the window, as if expecting that by looking at the sky the kindly headmaster's face would swim into view. Sighing deeply, Harry turned his eyes to the parcel in front of him, which he carefully unwrapped. The pensieve was glistening with memories and thoughts in a manner that was almost reassuring, as if the pensieve was trying to reach out to him and comfort him.

Resolving to make a decision as to whether or not to tell Professor McGonagall later, Harry carefully tucked the letter and the pensieve in a cupboard beside his bed. Deciding that he could, at the least, tell Hermione, Harry grabbed his thick cloak and proceeded up the Hogwarts lawn.

Winter was setting in fast, sneaking up unawares and catching out the few who had neglected to wear their warmer clothes. Harry bent his head against the chill, his face already pale as he hurried into the nice, warm entrance hall. Harry was surprised to see that the ceiling inside the main hall was crackling with thunder and lightning, something several other students had noticed, but Harry proceeded further into the castle, wending his way towards Hermione's personal study. He knocked and, a few moments later, the door was opened by a flustered looking Hermione.

"Look – Oh, hi Harry," she sounded flustered, which made Harry curious.

"Everything alright?" There was a brief pause during which Hermione looked anywhere but at Harry.

"Oh, just a couple of students from Hufflepuff have found out that I can transform into an owl and are badgering me to show them it," she sighed a little, before her face crinkled into a small smile. "Hmm, badgering," she said, almost to herself, "appropriate for a Hufflepuff." Unsure quite what to make of this Harry stayed silent until she seemed to regain herself and beckoned him into the room.

Having visited it in Professor McGonagall's days as head of Gryffindor, and with Hermione having a similar penchant for orderliness and structure, Harry was a bit surprised at the slightly untidy nature of the room. A small bed was crammed into the corner just around from the main office, which Hermione sat on, gesturing for Harry to sit on the soft chair she had just conjured. Her desk was crammed not just with quills, parchment and books (the latter of which seemed to circumvent the entire room), but also with spare robes, crockery, cutlery, and even some bathroom materials.

"Hermione," Harry started cautiously, "I thought you went back to the apartment with Ron at weekends…" he trailed off, slightly embarrassed by the sentence he had just uttered, but more concerned by the possibility of it being true.

"Oh, yes I spend some weekends here," she said, in a voice that was far too cheery to be truthful, "working too hard I suppose!" The silence that followed signalled the falsehood and they both knew it. Harry could almost hear Hermione's mind at work. "Has Professor Dumbledore's portrait appeared yet?"

"No," Harry answered, keen to move the conversation along. "In fact, that's partially why I'm here." Harry told Hermione about what he had overheard and then about the posthumous letter from Dumbledore, which he had brought with him. Hermione read it in silence, her eyebrows rising as she reached the end.

"He needs Godric's help?" Hermione asked, her voice little more than a whisper. "Dumbledore needs help?"

"I think it is more to do with Sirius than Godric," Harry responded, frowning. "He probably thinks that gathering as much information as possible about Andromidus and Regalus is a good idea." Hermione nodded gratefully.

"That's a relief, I wouldn't want to think about Dumbledore requiring assistance…" she trailed off, and Harry knew that she too was dwelling on the duel with Andromidus.

"I still get moments where I expect him to turn up again," she said unexpectedly. "Like nothing happened and it's all forgotten. And then it all hits you again and you're left wondering where you are." She gazed off into the distance, apparently unaware of Harry's deepening mystification. She shook herself a little. "Would you like to help with this afternoon's class? It's not a particularly complicated one, fourth years, but I could do with the company." She looked directly at him and Harry could see nervousness that he'd never seen before, and he could also see a distinct lack of sleep. He agreed instantly and, after Hermione had collected her things, they left for the class.

*

A couple of days following this meeting Harry entered the welcoming warmth of the Three Broomsticks, its restorative fire crackling merrily in the hearth as Ron beckoned from a table in the corner. Stamping snow from his boots Harry hastened across the room and sank into the chair nearest the fire.

"You look bloody cold," Ron said bluntly.

"You look bloody awful," Harry responded, initially meaning it as a caustic, not particularly mature response, but looking more closely Harry could see a mark of distinct weariness across his pale face. "Are you ok?" Ron gave a mute nod, taking in a sip of his butterbeer, and Harry took his cue to continue. "I expect Hermione has told you about the letter and the pensieve?"

Ron shook his head, frowning with a combination of confusion and disquiet. "I haven't spoken to her this week. Why, what happened?" Gliding carefully over the lack of discourse between his two best friends, Harry recounted the events between sips of Firewhisky, the hot liquid shaking his body into life.

"Have you told McGonagall or Snape?" Ron asked after a moment of stunned silence.

"I don't know how, but Snape found out," Harry answered, brow furrowed in confusion. "He came down to my cottage and spotted it immediately. Snape never visits me. He must have known."

Ron let out a low whistle. "Could Dumbledore have sent him a letter too? Or has his portrait appeared?"

"Certainly not the portrait, unless it appeared and Snape nicked it. But I can't see how or why he would do that. As for a letter… I don't think so, or why wouldn't Dumbledore have mentioned it in his letter?" Harry paused for a moment. "And Hermione swears she didn't tell him."

"Maybe he heard you telling her," Ron mused.

"That's the only explanation I can come up with that sounds possible," Harry agreed, although he wasn't entirely convinced. "Unless he saw the owls landing, but why wouldn't he have come down immediately?" There was a pause while they both considered the matter, until Ron shrugged.

"You won't know unless you ask him, and I somewhat suspect that you won't." Harry let out a small laugh, before Ron gave a snap of his fingers. "Oh, I meant to tell you something. Don't tell anyone else but, according to George, Fred is considering proposing to Angelina!"

Harry was stunned. "Really? I didn't know it was that serious!"

"Well they have been dating for quite a while haven't they? Since before you and Ginny got married anyway." Ron pointed out.

"George could be pulling your leg," Harry responded, "but it would be a weird thing to joke about."

"That's what I thought," Ron said, shrugging, before checking his watch. "Blimey, I'm going to be late for my shift."

"Hard work I expect?" Harry asked as they both got to their feet and headed for the door. Ron didn't say anything, just giving Harry a muted look, and Harry watched sadly as Ron apparated out of sight, leaving only a couple of footprints in the snow.


	17. Chapter 17 The Rift

Chapter 17 – The Rift

Reflecting a few days later, Harry realised two things about Snape's visit: first, that he had been allowed to keep the pensieve; and second, that Professor McGonagall had not visited. This second notion really surprised Harry: surely, if she knew, McGonagall would have come to see or perhaps even take the pensieve? From this, Harry concluded that Snape hadn't told her. Perhaps he'd just forgotten? Harry knew straight away how unlikely this was, and had to conclude the omission of this fact was deliberate, something which Harry found slightly disconcerting.

The few weeks leading up to the night of his meeting with Dumbledore included what was, to Harry, a very quiet Halloween. Professor McGonagall having forgotten to book the Weird Sisters the evening was barely marked save for the traditional enormous pumpkins and displays by the Headless Hunt, watched by a very sour looking Nearly-Headless Nick. Harry, Ginny and Hermione had spent most of the evening chatting about Ron and Mr Weasley, whom were both looking increasingly tired, something that made all three of them very nervous. Ginny was particularly suffering, and Harry was not surprised that the ghosts' grizzly re-enactments of their own downfalls led to her heading back to the common room, closely followed, Harry was annoyed to see, by Matt Taylor.

Three weeks after Dumbledore's death Harry found himself spending the day in his phoenix form. He listened in on one of Hermione's lectures, visited Ginny in the common room, and timed himself to and from Hogsmeade to see which of his three flying forms was fastest (the thestral coming a distant first, predictably followed by the phoenix and then the hippogriff), before wheeling his way back towards the cottage as the sun began its descent from the sky towards the lake. Having let Dobby have a couple of days off Harry set to making his own dinner to occupy himself, something that backfired spectacularly when he managed to set fire to the kitchen curtains. After putting out the fire and eating a meagre supper of toast and pumpkin juice, Harry sat in front of the fireplace, pensieve ahead of him, clock ticking agonisingly slowly as he mentally ran through what he needed to do.

"Wand movement, incantation, concentration, wand movement, incantation, concentration…" Harry murmured, whipping his wand forward and accidentally turning the flowers on his mantelpiece into a bottle of butterbeer. Transfiguring it back, Harry edged forward in his seat, adjusting the pensieve. The clock struck nine. Harry took a deep breath, focussing on the veil room. He whipped his wand forward.

"_Vita mens ponsus_," he said quietly, plunging his wand into the pensieve. Instantly, Dumbledore appeared in the pensieve but, despite preparing himself for it, Harry knew something was wrong. The image was grainy and, despite the reassurance of his headmaster's serene face, it was distorted, and the speech that he was trying to make was very difficult to make out. At the same time, Harry's began to sweat with effort. He saw Dumbledore's mouth move, and just made out the words "next week", before the image flickered and the pensieve returned to its normal, shimmering, fluid self. Harry sat back in his seat, completely drained, his mind just conscious enough for him to nudge the pensieve out of harm's way before falling asleep.

*

The following week was, despite Harry preparing himself with lots of coffee (something he found most distasteful), not much better. Again Dumbledore's face came into view, and again Harry could make out few words, although this time he did catch the word "Sirius" as well as the final "next week", although, since Harry had been expecting these words, he had to admit that he might have been lip-reading.

The winter was beginning to settle in, with the first flakes of November snow settling for brief moments in large quantities before promptly dissolving into nothingness, then reappearing in differing amounts the following days. The snow seemed to be reflecting the activity by the Secret Elite: brief moments of activity each day, varying in size and manner from the small skirmishes and disturbances in wizarding towns (though Hogsmeade had been strangely quiet) to full blown muggle attacks, the worst of which being a "stand collapse" at a rugby match in Gloucester, resulting in the deaths of thirty innocent fans including two seven year old boys.

Ron was clearly suffering. Each visit to Hogsmeade brought with it more worry lines, darker bags beneath his eyes, and sadder stories. Worse still, his mood swings had become more extreme. Sullen and quick to anger, Harry was ashamed to find himself checking his watch when Ron wasn't looking. Harry had offered to rejoin the Aurors to both Ron and Mr Weasley, but both times had been instantly shot down: putting Harry in the fire fight put him at greater risk compared to the protection at Hogwarts. Harry had argued that he didn't care about the risk if it helped, but again had been refused point blank. It was a mark of just how tired he was that Ron had even said that he, as a now higher ranking Auror, would revoke all Harry's privileges.

Ron's mood spilled over when he and Hermione were at Harry's house for a late night drink. Ominously Ron had bypassed Butterbeer and Firewhisky and was downing rapid glasses of Almost-Banned-Brandy, a drink infamous for the red mist it could breed. Whilst discussing Ravenclaw's narrow defeat of Hufflepuff, a result that all but guaranteed Gryffindor a place in the final, (short of being completely torn apart by Hufflepuff), Ron said almost nothing. At first Harry assumed that it was because he had been unable to attend the match and that he was simply listening to the commentary, but the idea of Ron not taking part in a Quidditch conversation was ludicrous. It was when the subject of the Kingston Kites came up that Ron exploded.

"Hasn't the new professional season begun yet?" Hermione inquired.

"You know it has!" Ron stated, with unexpected haste. Hermione looked startled.

"Last week," Harry commented smoothly, trying to wrestle the tone back down. "It was a bit weird, all I could do was listen on the radio. I have your father to thank for that!"

"You know he's just looking out for you," Hermione interjected. "We all are!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I seem vaguely to recall that lesson I helped you teach… I must thank you for that marvellous protection you gave me…" Hermione giggled.

"Think its funny do you?" Ron interrupted violently. "People being attacked left right and centre?"

"What?" Harry was bewildered: the sentence was aimed directly at Hermione.

"Just because we haven't been seeing each other that often doesn't mean you shouldn't know what's been going on! I mean, wake up, even the Prophet is acknowledging the threat, and the second attack to take place in Hogwarts seems funny to you?"

Hermione was shaking. "But that was an accident!" She exclaimed, flabbergasted. "A misplaced Reductor curse!"

Ron let out a derisive laugh. "That's less likely than Mad Eye relaxing. You really think that, just because it was in _Professor Granger's classroom _that it was merely an accident? That the whip-crack after it was imaginary or just someone dropping a quill? Wake up Hermione, there's a war going on outside these grounds, something a bit more serious than bloody detentions!" Ron slammed his glass down so hard that it shattered but, rather than repairing it, he got to his feet, breathing hard, and strode out of the house.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, furious. He chased him out of the door, but by the time he'd got there all he could see was a tail vanishing into the forest. Shaking, Harry turned to see Hermione pulling on her coat. He strode over and gave her a hug which, after a moment of sobbing, Hermione returned. She gripped Harry so hard, tears rolling down her cheeks, that it felt like being hugged by a miniature Hagrid. After a few moments Harry, feeling somewhat awkward, pulled away.

"I think you should stay here tonight," he said softly. Hermione's watery eyes stared directly into his. She stumbled slightly and Harry caught her. "C'mon, I'll take the couch." Gathering herself with a stuttered murmur of thanks, Harry guided her towards the bedroom, gave her a sleeping draught from a small cabinet he kept in the kitchen, before creeping out of the room and onto the couch.

Harry felt his head swimming. He had not heard Ron yell like that since he had lost Scabbers way back in their third year. Espying the pensieve in the corner of the room, Harry did something he had never done before. He placed his wand against his temple and, as naturally as if he was washing his hair, he withdrew a thin, silvery strand. Placing it delicately in the pensieve Harry watched as, for a moment, Ron's furious face merged into Hermione's weeping equivalent, before he settled down on the couch, lighting the fire and conjuring a duvet before trying to get some sleep.

*

The end of term brought no contact from Ron, for either of them. Hermione stayed at Harry's house several other nights in the week leading up to the Christmas departure, something Harry couldn't help but notice that Ginny seemed bothered by. Eventually, on the last day, Harry visited her in her lunch break, transforming into a Hippogriff and carrying the two of them, along with a picnic basket, up to the top of the Astronomy tower.

"Well, that sure beats the stairs," she said, laughing as Harry transfigured back. "But may I ask as to why we're up here?" Harry took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to check that you were ok…" he started and, despite having rehearsed the sentence, he still struggled to finish it. "You know… with Hermione staying occasionally."

Ginny sighed. "I wondered if you were going to ask about that. I have to admit that I've found my transfiguration lessons a bit awkward, but I can understand. Ron's being a complete arse. I know why, but it just seems that everyone is tense at the moment and, well… Ron's never been good with dealing with it. I'm not jealous or worried about us or anything like that. But, well, let's face it… she IS sleeping in your bed." They stared at each other for a moment before, at the same moment, they both burst out laughing. Drawing her close Harry sat in comfortable silence, drinking pumpkin juice, relishing the slight chill in the air, until Ginny realised she was going to be late for charms, and Harry dropped her back outside the entrance hall.


	18. Chapter 18 Christmas Break

Going to be moving house, may not have internet, so will upload a couple of chapters now. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, though I know there's only about four of you reading! Thanks to those of course…

Chapter 18 - Christmas Break

At the end of the day Harry watched with curious nostalgia as the students piled back onto the Hogwarts express. He stood with Hagrid as the first years waded their way through knee deep snow, the older students stepping through with a little more ease, and waved as Leanne and Dennis Creevey joined the already rumbling train. He couldn't help but feel slightly troubled by Ginny's prolonged embrace with Matt Taylor. As she broke off, Hagrid gave Harry a nudge in the ribs.

"I bet yer finding today a bit odd, eh Harry?"

"A bit," Harry conceded, glad for the distraction, "but I did stay at Hogwarts for rather a lot of my Christmases."

"An' here comes the missus," Hagrid said, chuckling and turning away.

"Just saying bye to Matt and Leanne," she said, shivering against the cold. "Do you think we could head back to one of your cabins, or up to the hall? It's freezing out here!" Hagrid gestured for them to follow, Harry and Ginny finding it much easier to walk through the tracks the half-giant carved through the snow. Shutting the door to block the chilly wind, Hagrid lit a warm fire with his umbrella.

"Know what yer doing for Christmas yet? In Godric's Hollow again?"

"No, we're staying with mum and dad this year," Ginny answered, shaking flakes of snow out of her hair. "Dad's used some of his money for an extension so all of us will be back, as well as the Grangers and the Johnsons. Angelina's family I mean."

"Ron said he thought Fred was considering proposing… I don't suppose you have any idea?" Harry asked Ginny. She shook her head.

"That'd be nice," Hagrid commented, stretching so far that he set his sock on fire, which he hastily put out. "I mean, your wedding was good fun."

"Thanks Hagrid," Ginny demurred, as Harry laughed. "I'm not sure that was quite the point, but still…"

"Let's just hope Fred checks the ring first," Harry interjected.

"Still no idea how that happened?" Hagrid asked, as Ginny giggled.

"Nope. Too late to do anything about it now, the maker was questioned with Veritaserum and the ring itself exploded. Threw that giant completely off the ground, didn't it?"

"Yer don't forget days like that easy," Hagrid nodded sagely, as if he believed he had just imparted some great wisdom. Harry and Ginny exchanged amused looks but said nothing. "Still, gettin' ahead of ourselves, don't even know if it's happenin' yet! On another note, how're Ron and Hermione?" There was a pause.

"Well, Ron apologised eventually. But it took him a while and I'm not sure if Hermione's forgiven him. She said she had, and she understood that he was under pressure…" Harry trailed off.

"Nasty thing to say though," Hagrid said, frowning. "Even under stress…"

"I tried to stop him leaving, but by the time I got out the door all I could see was a tail in the distance. He'd transformed."

"I heard Hermione stayed at yours that night…" Hagrid trailed off, looking anxiously at Ginny, who laughed.

"It's fine. Harry thought she shouldn't be by herself, so she stayed. Don't worry, Harry took the couch." Ginny laughed again, looking at Harry in a fake-angry why. "Well, at least that's what they told me!" Hagrid let out a relieved laugh.

"You two'd best be off, Fang needs a bit of treatment. Reckon he might have broken a bone in his foot." Ignoring the fact that, despite his expertise, mending a broken bone might be best done by someone more qualified than Hagrid, Harry helped Ginny up and guided her back into the white grounds.

*

The day after term ended Harry packed a small bag and apparated with Ginny to the Burrow. As Ginny had mentioned, the Burrow had indeed gone under some large additions. A long annex extended around the back in a right angle shape, creating a courtyard within which there was a large round table complete with a central rotating lazy Susan and parasol, surrounded by a ring of comfortable chairs. Harry was pleased to see that this annex, whilst obviously comfortable and spacious, had been developed with the same uneven charm as the original building. Harry had grown very fond of the Burrow over his years growing up in Hogwarts, and would have been slightly disappointed had the extensions looked too modern or had the main building been redone.

Barely a minute after their arrival Harry and Ginny found themselves in the warm embrace of Mrs Weasley, (Harry had not yet achieved the stage of referring to his in-laws as "Mum" or "Dad", and wasn't sure if he ever would), who ushered them into the kitchen. They were greeted by the warm smell of chicken soup and the three of them settled around the kitchen table.

"It's going to be so nice to have every one here for Christmas," Mrs Weasley extolled enthusiastically. "Not that it wasn't lovely at yours last year, of course dear."

"It's great to be here too Mrs Weasley," Harry agreed, taking a sip of the creamy soup in front of him and, unsurprisingly, finding it to be delicious. "Ginny tells me that the Grangers and the Johnsons are going to be here…" Harry trailed off in what he hoped was a leading manner.

"Indeed they are," she replied, smiling as she took a sip of her soup, though she refused to rise to the bait. "Would you like to see your room? It's in the new bit." Casually setting the dishes to washing themselves, Mrs Weasley rose and led them down the hall, Ginny throwing Harry an amused look.

The room, along with the rest of the annex, (which, Harry later found out, George had dubbed "the Weasley's Wonderfully Wacky West Wing"), was lavishly decorated with streamers, stars, fake snow and several Christmas trees. Despite all of the Weasleys now being adults Harry couldn't help but feel like he was in some sort of Christmas grotto, and enjoyed the warm childhood nostalgic glow that spread from it.

Given that Mrs Weasley now had the services of a house elf called Tessy, and that Harry had summoned Dobby and Winky to help, the usual manic activity was mercifully absent. Ron and Bill arrived later on the day that Harry and Ginny arrived; the twins the following day; Charlie and the Granger's the day after that, with the Johnson's arriving just a couple of days before Christmas. The full house led to a happy atmosphere as the Granger's explained muggle appliances to Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley got to know the Johnsons, and Hermione's sister Sarah, who had just turned twelve, spent the first day being defended from the gnomes by Bill.

As had been predicted by all but, apparently, Angelina, Fred proposed on Christmas Eve. He took her for a walk up onto the snowy hillside and, overlooking the village, he had sunk onto one knee and "signed his life away" as George put it. Through much tipsy jubilation Angelina repeatedly questioned Harry and Hermione especially as to the prospect of marrying into the Weasley family. Both had assured her jokingly that it was a terrible mistake and that she'd doomed herself to a life of harassment and stubbornness, until Fred, Ron and Ginny came over asking what they were all laughing about.

Ron and Hermione seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement that, over Christmas, they would put aside their troubles so that everyone could enjoy their holidays. They laughed, they held hands, kissed under the mistletoe (much to Sarah's horror) and joined in with all the Christmas games. Indeed, if Harry had not known better, he would have thought that they'd never been happier. Showing a surprisingly sensitive knack, Fred seemed to have spotted the mood too.

"Never seen Ron happier," he commented to Harry as they observed a female Quidditch match which Mrs Granger had, somewhat foolishly, volunteered to join in, leaving Ron trying desperately not to laugh. Harry responded with a non-committal nod. "Something's not right though," Fred continued, pausing in an attempt to lure Harry into conversation. "Do you know what it is?"

Harry considered what to say for a moment. "Well, it's really their business, but let's just say Ron isn't handling the stress very well."

Fred sighed. "Never was a strong point. Remember way back to your first year, with the Devil's Snare?"

Harry laughed. "How on earth can you remember that?"

"Not just a pretty face," Fred said, winking across the courtyard at Angelina who had valiantly agreed to be on Mrs Granger's team. There was another pause. "I think they could do with your help back in the Aurors."

"I've offered, several times. They keep saying that it would be stupid and would likely lead to a trap. I sometimes wonder what the point was in training."

"Surely they could do with having a phoenix on board?"

"When I pointed that out your dad just sighed, gave me a small smile and wandered off." Fred chuckled, although Harry thought he could detect a hint of something less definable within the laughter. "How's my investment going?"

"The shop? Really well. George has agreed to take charge for a couple of weeks so Angelina and I can head off somewhere for a honeymoon. Think we're going to Cyprus, Dad met their Minister a couple of weeks ago who found out from Dad what was going on, and immediately offered his summer retreat." Harry let out a low whistle. "Exactly," Fred agreed.

"Any new products in development?" Harry asked, realising he'd not checked up on Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes for some time. Fred just tapped his nose before they were both forced to duck as the golden snitch shot over their heads, followed closely by Hermione and Ginny.

*

Christmas day itself saw Dobby, Winky and Tessy showing off their culinary prowess with a sumptuous table of roast turkeys, stuffing, heaving plates of vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, massive gravy boats and enormous ewers of pumpkin juice, butterbeer, Firewhisky, wine, and a brand of muggle squash requested by Sarah. Determined to save Mrs Weasley or the other parents from doing any work, Harry, Hermione and Angelina directed the activities and ensured that the day ran smoothly. True to character, Hermione also made sure that the house elves had their breaks. As was inevitable, the idyllic atmosphere could not last.

It was Tessy's declining of a break that started things off. After many reassurances that they could do fine without her for half an hour, Tessy was still maintaining her duties, insisting that she should help Mrs Weasley. Hermione kept persisting, saying that Tessy was being overworked, when Ron came in.

"Give it a rest, Hermione," he said heavily, his red face topped with an irritated frown. "She obviously doesn't want to stop."

"But she needs a break!" Hermione responded, her voice a little bit higher than usual. "Dobby and Winky took breaks!"

"But she's not Dobby or Winky is she? It took ages to persuade Winky to take a break, weeks, and that was at the point where Harry ordered her to take one! Remember, you weren't happy about that?"

"That's not the point!" Hermione answered, her voice rising ominously. "She's worked hard and deserves some time off, don't you Tessy?" She said this last bit without even looking around, or she would have noticed that Tessy had already left, followed by an apologetic looking Winky.

"She's not even here any more," Ron laughed harshly. "She wants to be working more than even listening to you offering her time off!"

"So, Angelina, do you know when the big day is likely to be?" Harry interrupted loudly, desperately looking for a way out of the conversation. "I'm sure Hermione would like a look at the ring!" Angelina dived forwards, almost hitting Hermione in her efforts to help Harry save the situation, but it was too far gone.

"Enough!" Hermione was weeping now, and barely coherent. "I don't want to see you anymore!"

The room went silent instantly. "You mean…" Ron started uncertainly, "you want…" He trailed off, his face transformed from anger to stunned fear.

"I don't know what I want," she sobbed, her face now half buried in Harry's chest. "But I think we should be apart… for… for a while." She gave a little hiccup and, after another few moments of silence, Angelina took Hermione gently by the hand and, giving Harry an imperceptible nod at Ron, guided Hermione out of the room.

Harry had been in this situation before, but it was never easy. Indeed, the more serious the relationship, the more serious the row, and the worse the fall out. Harry looked at Ron, who was staring at the doorway Hermione had just left through. His face was pale and shining with sweat and tears, suddenly diminished. Harry gestured softly at the fields around the Burrow.

"Fancy a walk? Transformed I mean?" Ron shook himself and gave Harry a watery nod. Ron changed into a dog and, as a lion, Harry followed him outside, though he couldn't help but notice the owl watching them. Whilst Ron wasn't looking Harry turned and, after they had looked at each other a while, gave her a small nod. She looked away and, feeling none of the Christmas spirit the day had ushered in, Harry turned and followed Ron into the night.


	19. Chapter 19 Listening For Silence

Chapter 19 - Listening For Silence

The Grangers left the Burrow earlier than had been planned due to the tension between Ron and Hermione. With many apologetic glances between the two sets of parents, who had agreed that it was probably best for the time being, the house suddenly felt strangely empty, and the atmosphere was cold. Although it was unsaid, Harry knew that Fred particularly was peeved with Ron, the euphoria of his and Angelina's engagement somewhat lessened by the incident. Ron, knowing full well what he had caused, had isolated himself via expeditions in his canine form, something only confirmed by the paw prints left behind. On these occasions Harry would usually become one of his airborne transformations, before following the trail to its conclusion, normally up on the hill overlooking the village. Despite following Ron, Harry never transformed, never knowing fully what to say, although he was pretty sure Ron had spotted him a couple of times.

The Christmas spirit had all but deflated, something Harry, Ginny and George did all they could do to recover. Charades, wizards' chess tournaments, mini-Quidditch: all were begun by Harry, Ginny and George, with some measure of success. Visits from Hagrid and Emily (the latter invited covertly by Harry) added some festive cheer, and a fresh bought of snow finally led to a joyous afternoon of snowball fights and sledging, something aided by Harry magically moving a huge heap of snow to create an enormous ramp. Even Ron found the energy to join in, racing the twins to see who could get the greatest distance before plummeting into the soft snow.

All-in-all Harry and Ginny were pleased at the happiness new year heralded in versus the gloom of boxing day, and Harry briefly apparated to the Grangers' to wish them a happy new year. In the renewed excitement at the Burrow Harry had, somewhat to his shame, forgotten about Hermione, and had not prepared himself for the possibility that Hermione might be feeling down. He was completely unprepared for her to be completely absent.

"She went back to Hogwarts yesterday," Mr Granger said sadly. "Said she needed to prepare some classes for the new term."

"That doesn't surprise me," Harry said, with a feeble attempt at a smile, which Mr Granger obviously understood but appreciated nonetheless. Harry, wishing them a happy new year, apparated to Hogsmeade and, transforming into a thestral, hurtled up the Hogwarts lawns to the main doors. Transforming back and shaking the snow out of his hair, Harry proceeded to Hermione's office. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door.

"Just a moment!" Harry heard Hermione call from somewhere out of sight. Harry thought he heard a sniff before Hermione came into sight, tying her hair back and, upon seeing Harry, she sank down into a chair. Harry, who had been expecting a hug, stepped forward and, bending over, gave her a warm embrace which, after a moment of awkwardness, she returned. She even gave him a small kiss on the cheek as he stood up and, conjuring a soft armchair, Harry sat back comfortably, blushing slightly.

"Happy new year," Hermione said quietly, not looking at him. "How are things at the Burrow?"

"They're ok. It was a bit quiet after – after Boxing day. Didn't fancy spending New Year with the family?" Hermione made no response so Harry cast around for another topic. "What lessons are you preparing?"

"Oh, you know, the normal stuff," Hermione hiccupped. "Taking Ginny's class through the Golden Patronus you and… you found out." There was a pause, both knowing full well who had helped Harry create the Golden Patronus. "Got to take the first years through the basic stuff, they haven't really used many practical stuff yet, I thought I should teach them the shield charm."

"Good shout at the moment, I'd think," Harry commented. "Surely you'd want some company at the moment though?"

"I have some company," Hermione answered with a small, sad smile. "No, I'm ok. I've been showing Grawp my transformation; I think he's finally starting to get it. He took a swing at me the first time I did it."

"I thought his English was getting better?"

"English doesn't cover a person shrinking into an owl," Hermione commented, shifting in her seat. "Besides, I've seen Hagrid quite a bit, and a couple of the other teachers. I still find it weird calling Professor McGonagall "Minerva". It just doesn't feel right!" Harry laughed. "She's a bit worried though at the moment, Dumbledore's portrait still hasn't appeared."

"Something odd is definitely happening at Hogwarts. Some of the staircases don't move anymore and I'm pretty sure that the missing step has shifted down a bit… what with Dumbledore's portrait missing, and that "Not Yet" bit in the Room of Requirement…" Harry ran a hand over his head. "Something's wrong."

"You should get back to the Burrow," said Hermione, unexpectedly. "Ginny will be missing you." They looked at each other for a few seconds, before Harry stood up and turned to the door, but he was certain there had been tears in Hermione's eyes as he left.

*

Shortly after new year Harry and Ginny returned to Hogwarts. After dropping Harry's stuff off with Dobby they headed into the castle to Gryffindor tower. With term not due to start until the next day, Harry entered the common room for the first time since he had left Hogwarts for his Auror training. Feeling very nostalgic he looked around fondly at the unchanged décor, bubbling fireplace against one wall, thin stairwells heading up to the dormitories, and Harry's favourite armchair still sitting as if he had sat in it only hours before. A warm glow spreading through him, Harry flung himself down as Ginny curled up on the neighbouring sofa.

"I'm surprised that there aren't more people here," Ginny commented, nodding at the pair of solemn fourth years and small but hyperactive knot of first years. "I suppose parents want their children with them at the moment."

"Undoubtedly," Harry agreed, rubbing his palms against his eyes.

Ginny adjusted herself, giving Harry a curious look. "Any joy with Dumbledore's portrait?"

"None at all. There's a space there behind the desk where he should be, but no portrait. None of the other headmasters can remember anything about the night he died, and he's not appeared anywhere else around the castle."

"The castle…" Ginny said softly, straightening up, an idea obviously having just occurred to her. "How about the room of requirement? That "Not Yet" bit?"

"It's possible," Harry considered, tilting his head to one side. "If it is though it's still not appeared, and I'm really not sure what the room is waiting for. I've been in and out of that room with as many variations as I can think of but nothing's changing." There was a pause. "But I'm going to try and speak to Dumbledore again tonight. He said the day before term began I think, though it's still difficult to understand."

"You can see him better though, can't you?"

"Definitely. I think he can see me as well, as I think he said I looked tired," Harry mused, a small smile on his face. "He's not wrong though really."

"That's true of most people these days. Just look at Ron."

"I meant to talk to you about him," Harry said, shifting uneasily in his seat. "He's… he's asked if he can move into Godric's Hollow. Just for a bit."

Ginny gave a sound that was half way between a sigh and an indignant snort. "Why?"

"He said he feels really alone in his flat. I know he doesn't live with Hermione but the flat is quite a joint thing. Besides, being in Godric's Hollow would bring him nearer to Hogwarts. To Hermione I mean." Ginny rolled her eyes, but nodded softly.

"Would give Winky something to do!" Ginny said wryly. "And if it helps them patch things up…" she trailed off. Harry knew that she too was thinking of the ramifications of a separation and, as the conversation became a bit flatter, Harry decided to go and give Hagrid a hand with Grawp's continued training. Kissing Ginny softly on the cheek he transformed into a phoenix and dived out of the window into the January air.

*

Harry sat himself by the pensieve just before eight o'clock. Having prepared himself with energy filled food Harry was buzzing, wide awake, with the feeling of positive anticipation coursing through his body like a shiver of confidence. Bristling with expectation, as the clock chimed the hour, Harry whipped his wand forward, murmuring the incantation, and plunged it into the pensieve. Immediately Dumbledore bubbled into view, no longer fuzzy, but crystal clear.

"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore said, a broad smile on his face. Harry felt himself give a small shudder, (of hope, warmth, love, reassurance he didn't know), at the sound of the former headmaster's voice.

"Good evening Professor," Harry replied triumphantly. "It is good to hear your voice again." Dumbledore beamed out of the pensieve and let out a contented sigh.

"Thank you. Sadly this conversation won't be sustainable for longer than ten minutes or so; thus I must say a few things before we run out of time. Firstly, I wish to try and speak to you again at the same time tomorrow night. Secondly, I bring messages of love and best wishes from your parents, Lupin, Sirius and Godric. Kingsley asks that you reassure Aaron of his, for want of a better word, wellbeing. Can you quickly tell me what has been happening your realm?"

"Everyone from the Order and at Hogwarts seems to be alright, but I'm afraid that random attacks are taking place again." Harry screwed up his face in concentration as he began to feel the slight strain of maintaining the connection. "The Aurors are being kept busy keeping the peace and trying to track down Andromidus, but without any luck so far. As for Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall has assumed the role of headmistress and Hermione is now the deputy-head. But Hogwarts itself seems to be malfunctioning. The staircases aren't moving as much, the missing step seems to have shifted, the ceiling in the great hall has gone completely out of control and… well… your portrait hasn't appeared."

Dumbledore looked puzzled. "That is indeed strange," he commented thoughtfully. "And there has been no sign of it?" Harry shook his head, and Dumbledore sighed. "I can see that we are both getting tired, but I have one bit of information to impart. I visited Salazar Slytherin, who now resides back in his temple under close watch, and discovered something interesting about the pensieve through which we are now communicating. It seems that Salazar adapted his own pensieve and used it to transport himself around within the castle. He used this method to create the Chamber of Secrets unknown to the other founders of the school. I mention this only as it may explain how Andromidus entered and exited the castle the night that I left you."

Harry frowned, the effort required to hold the link becoming almost too much. "Professor, whilst that is possible, I still think I saw a second figure…" his voice wavered, and the image of Dumbledore began to fade. "Same time tomorrow?" Harry gasped through the exhaustion rapidly descending on him. He held on just long enough to see Dumbledore nod back at him before the pensieve became it's smooth, clear self, and Harry fell instantly into deep sleep.


	20. Chapter 20 Drinks And Hinks

Chapter 20 – Drinks and Hinks

Harry woke up late the following morning as the students who had arrived back late the previous evening on the Hogwarts express began their new term. The snow having dissolved into sticky dew overnight left the grounds a shimmering green, refracting the sunlight into miniature rainbows arching around the castle. These colours belied the cold; a chill wind was whistling from the tower eaves down the walls before being amplified in the courtyards and, as a result, there were very few people out doors. Harry, however, spent the rest of the morning helping Hagrid in the forest yet feeling quite warm, courtesy of a useful charm he had discovered in the relaxation section of the room of requirement.

It was just after lunch that Harry learned that there was something wrong. The morning being taken up with creating a small paddock for Hagrid to teach third years about hippogriffs, (Hagrid jokingly suggesting that Harry could help, an idea Harry quashed immediately by pointing out he didn't think Ginny would be too happy if he was being petted by third year girls), Harry emerged from the forest with twigs and bits of fauna lodged in his hair and small scratches on his arms, ready to head up to the castle for dinner, when he discovered Leanne Filroy banging on the door of his cabin.

"I'm over here!" Harry yelled, jogging towards her. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, Harry!" Leanne exclaimed with relief. "You need to go to Hermione's office immediately. Ginny's there but I think she could do with some help."

"What's wrong?" Harry said, with distinct alarm.

"Something to do with Ron," she gasped, obviously having run the whole way down. "You should transform, get there as fast as you can."

Deciding on the spot that a thestral would struggle in the corridors, Harry transformed into a phoenix and raced towards the sunlit castle. Swooping over some startled Ravenclaws Harry dived around the corner, following the most direct route to Hermione's room. Transforming back, he found the door ajar with some Gryffindor's huddled around it, the audible sound of sniffing coming from within the room. Angrily dismissing the students Harry hurried into the room, closing the door quickly behind him.

Ginny was sat on the sofa, her eyes swivelling over to Harry, her arm around the trembling form of Hermione. Tears weren't so much leaking out of Hermione's eyes as flooding, her head barely supported by clenched fists, a bottle of butterbeer rolling across the floor. Her breathing was ragged, drawn in rapid gasps as if gulping at the air, and her dishevelled hair obscured the little of the wet face that Harry could see. Ginny, with a jerk of her head, indicated that Harry should sit on her other side.

"What's wrong?" he whispered behind Hermione's back as he sat down and put one arm around her waist.

"Ron was kissed by another Auror," Ginny whispered back, "A girl who had apparently had a crush on Ron for a long time." Hermione snorted.

"_Was _kissed by?" she exclaimed with a maniacal laugh, "Don't be so naïve! You know that he k-kissed her! He knew that she l-liked h-him!"

"Now, now, Hermione, you know that Aaron and Lucy said he didn't kiss back," Ginny assured her, although she looked at Harry and gave her head a very slight shake. "He was just caught off guard." Hermione let out a noise half way between a sniff and another incredulous snort, and grabbed the tissue proffered by Ginny, dabbing at the soft mascara lines weaving down her face.

"Ron's my best mate, and I know he wouldn't do anything to jeopardise your relationship," Harry tried to reassure her. "I know he's tired and you guys… you know, had an argument at Christmas, but he was really cut up about that. You saw him run away from the Burrow that night. Who are you supposed to be teaching this afternoon?" he asked Hermione, but it was Ginny who answered.

"Fifth year Hufflepuff's for an hour about the Impedimenta charm and then an hour with fourth year Gryffindors learning about werewolves," she said, passing Harry Hermione's class schedule.

"Right, I can do those two lessons for you," said Harry firmly. "I mean, if someone who knew Remus for four years and has been using the Impedimenta charm since the Tri-Wizard tournament can't teach others about them then he should have his wand taken away." Hermione's face crinkled into a reluctant, watery smile, and Harry gave her a little squeeze. "This afternoon, you are to read _Hogwarts, A History _and give me two feet of parchment on chapter seven."

"What's in chapter seven?" said Ginny, confusedly.

"No idea," Harry replied cheerfully. Ginny laughed and even Hermione allowed herself a giggle. Subtly using his wand to tidy the papers strewn around the room, Harry distracted Hermione by asking her to tell him in a little more detail about the upcoming classes, including getting her to produce a register and advise him on any troublemakers. As lunch finished Harry summoned his wizard's chess set with a whip crack that made them all jump and gave Hermione a proper hug. "You two play nicely now," he joked, giving Ginny, (who had no afternoon lessons), a kiss on the cheek, before exiting the room.

*

Having taught the D.A before, Harry had no difficulty with the lessons, and arrived promptly back in Hermione's office before dinner to find it completely empty. Spotting a note on the table, Harry deposited the papers in the armchair before hastening up to the room of requirement. Walking past the door three times, Harry entered to find Hermione and Ginny sat in the relaxation seats, a set of muggle Monopoly perched on the table between them.

"Occasionally," Ginny said, laughing as Hermione unwillingly dragged her boot across to jail, "I can see why dad likes this stuff." Ignoring Ginny's laughter Hermione, who looked a lot calmer, addressed Harry,

"Did everything go alright?" she asked. Harry nodded. "Oh, good. Thanks so much for doing that for me, I really appreciate it."

"It was nothing," Harry said, pulling an armchair over to watch. "I gave them the homework you set, but you must be teaching them well, none of them gave me any trouble. I told them you weren't feeling well, something the Hufflepuff's believed but I think some of the Gryffindors didn't. So I gave _them_ extra homework." Hermione laughed, before suggesting that they all head down for dinner.

"Why?" Harry asked, adjusting himself in his seat. "Let's just get Dobby to bring us some here. Dobby?" There was an instant snap and Dobby appeared in front of him, his eyes slightly glazed as he adjusted to the new room.

"Master summoned me?"

"Yes, thank you for coming Dobby", [Hermione gave an approving look] "we just wondered if you could bring us some dinner?" He turned to Hermione and Ginny. "What do you fancy? Does a full roast sound good?" Hermione and Ginny nodded enthusiastically and, with a brief bow, Dobby vanished, before reappearing a few minutes later with three heaving plates of roast pork, stuffing, crackling, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and a gravy boat, as well as a six-pack of butterbeer.

"You're the best Dobby," said Harry, conjuring an extra table for the food. Dobby gave another excited bow before apparating out of the room. Harry took a bite out of a Yorkshire pudding and sighed contentedly. "He is a good cook," he said happily, before settling back to watch Hermione trounce Ginny with a brave investment on Mayfair and Park Lane.

The entire evening was spent playing games of both the muggle and wizarding varieties separated only by pauses as Dobby brought them pudding and some more butterbeer. Whether it was due to the drink or just all of them overcompensating for what Ron had done, the three of them were all very giggly and, having being defeated by her previously, Harry sided against Ginny during the girl's chess match. He hugged Hermione at every opportunity that she took any of Ginny's pieces, giving her a consoling pat when she lost one, until Ginny became so annoyed that she fell into such an obvious checkmate that Harry was almost howling with laughter.

At midnight, when Ginny was finally showing signs of tiredness, the three of them left the room of requirement, Harry and Hermione bidding Ginny goodbye outside the library where their paths separated. After a hasty kiss goodnight Ginny instructed Harry to walk the mildly inebriated Hermione back to her office. Harry had no problem with this, slipping his arm around her waist, her bushy hair bouncing slightly as she stumbled against him, and they headed down the stairs towards her office. Hermione was gripping him rather more tightly than necessary around his shoulders, and Harry found himself carefully pulling her head against his shoulder.

Upon reaching the office, there was a brief pause but, as Harry reluctantly turned to leave, Hermione took hold of his arm. Harry, assuming that Hermione had been made a little bit unsteady through the substantial amount of butterbeer she had consumed, automatically threw out a hand to catch her. But, as he looked back, he saw that she was looking straight at him, her bright brown eyes gleaming amidst her shining, angelic face.

"I should have done this a long time ago," she whispered and, before Harry could react, she kissed him, not the friendly peck he sometimes received, instead a much more intimate one touching Harry's lips. Harry was rooted to the spot until, a moment later, he kissed her back. There was a few seconds of being lost, the consequences not mattering, all that mattered to Harry at that moment was the girl in his arms, the beautiful girl he had known since he had saved her from a troll. Who was Ginny anyway…?

A few moments later Hermione pulled away, the dazed smile on her face mirrored in Harry's, before she promptly fainted against him. Gathering his wits quickly enough to catch her, Harry guided her, still feeling dazed, onto her bed. Forgoing the normal chivalry of staying on the sofa, Harry left the office, head swimming with something entirely unrelated to his butterbeer consumption, and headed out into the grounds, eventually slumping onto his own sofa and falling immediately asleep.

*

Harry awoke the following morning with his head splitting. Sleepily pushing himself into a sitting position, Harry shrugged off the blanket that Dobby must have covered him with, and allowed his memory to scan the previous evening. Try as he might, he couldn't trick his mind into believe it had been some sort of dream and he was forced to acknowledge the truth: Hermione really had kissed him. He really had kissed her back. Unconsciously he ran the back of his hand over his mouth, pondering what he should do. Was Hermione so drunk that she wouldn't remember what they had done? If so, should he tell her? And what should he tell Ginny or, indeed, Ron? Deciding that the first question was, for the time being, the most important, Harry trudged up to the castle for breakfast.

He had his answer immediately upon entering the great hall. Looking at the staff table, his eyes instantly met Hermione's. She had the look of someone who had slept deeply but was still exhausted, and her eyes swam with tears upon seeing him. She looked away, abandoning her single slice of toast, and hurried out of the great hall without another backward glance. Instead, Harry found himself confronted by his wife. For a moment he thought she must know…

"Are you alright Harry?" she asked, running a hand gently across his face, which Harry automatically took into his own. "You look tired."

"Too much butterbeer I expect," he said, inwardly thanking God that Ginny hadn't realised. "I'll be better in a couple of hours."

"I think Hermione's feeling the effect too," she said, casually looking at the door through which Hermione had just left. "It seems for once I lasted longer than you two!" She laughed with a beautiful, lilting song, and Harry felt guilt rising in him, twinned with the horror of what he had done. Terrified that it might show on his face, Harry made his excuses and, after a moment of deliberation, made his way to Hermione's office. Taking a deep breath, he raised his fist to knock on the door, but it opened before he could touch it.

"I'm so, so sorry," Hermione said, her eyes puffy and bloodshot, trembling from head to toe. "I don't know what happened. I don't understand."

"It wasn't you," Harry said automatically, both of them unable to meet each other's gaze. "I mean, I… I… kissed back…" Her eyes shot up at him for a split second before dropping again.

"Harry…" she started softly, searching breathlessly for the right words, "it… it was a mistake. It should never have happened. I don't know what came over me!"

"Me neither," Harry admitted, feeling immensely glad that Hermione had also found it to be a mistake. "I've never… I mean – no offence – but…"

"You've only ever thought of me as a friend," Hermione said quietly, a small smile gracing her blushing cheeks. "I feel the same."

"So, what, err… what do we do?"

"I don't know. I mean, Ron and I were going through a bad patch but you and Ginny…" she trailed off.

"We've been fine. I know that I've not been too chuffed with that Matt Taylor bloke but she's never given me any reason to doubt her. I love her."

"And I love Ron," Hermione said, that small smile growing a little as she rolled her eyes. "Even if he is an arse sometimes." They both laughed. "Shall we, I mean, I'm not fond of the idea but, shall we, you know, for now…"

"Keep it to ourselves?" Harry asked. Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. "I don't like it either," Harry admitted, "but I can't risk things with Ginny. Or with Ron for that matter."

Before Hermione could respond though there was a loud crack, making both Harry and Hermione jump, and Dobby appeared next to them.

"Master Harry," Dobby said breathlessly, "Mr Moody has asked that you move Mr Hinks from Mr and Mrs Shacklebolt's house to Mr Holloway's. He says he thinks Mr and Mrs Shacklebolt are under watch." Harry and Hermione exchanged alarmed looks.

"You go," Hermione said instantly and, giving her an awkward hug, Harry let Dobby apparate him, (as a house elf, Dobby was not restricted by the Hogwarts anti-apparition charm), to Aaron and Lucy's house. Sending Dobby back to Hogwarts Harry hurried into the semi-detached two bedroom house located in the suburbs of Southampton. Just before he could knock on the door a wand emerged through the post box.

"What was our first alarm clock in Mystearl Peak?" Lucy's Irish lilt floated out of the door. Harry thought back.

"A massive storm," he answered, drawing his own wand. "How did we win our exam?"

"You and Ron wore your invisibility cloak and flew behind them," she answered, unlocking the door. She straightened up and gave him a hug. "How are you? We haven't seen you in ages!"

Harry followed her into the living room. "Been busy at Hogwarts. There's been a lot of things going on, what with extra protection and helping Hermione and Hagrid out with their lessons. But anyway, Mad-Eye's just told me that we've got to move the boy."

"What?" she replied, evidently stunned.

"Well he told Dobby that this place is being watched. We've got to move him to Charlie's."

"Oh…" Lucy seemed surprised. "Mad-Eye didn't seem worried last week…" she smiled slightly. "Well, by his standards at any rate."

"Well, something must have changed. Where is he?"

"Upstairs, doing his maths homework," she answered promptly, and they both involuntarily glanced at the ceiling.

It suddenly sank in that Harry had never physically met this child. Since his vision in the lair of the Secret Elite events had completely driven Brian Hinks out of his mind, and the incident with Hermione the previous night had even made the importance of moving the potential Voldemort seem none existent. But now that he stopped to think about it, the presence of his former adversary swept over him so completely that he had to control the urge to reach for his wand. With a gesture from Lucy Harry headed up the stairs and, briefly glancing out of the rain splattered window, pushed the door open.

Brian Hinks was facing him as soon as he entered the room. His intense gaze was framed by a rigid waxwork face, blonde hair unnaturally plastered against his scalp, and his penetrating green eyes that so mirrored Harry's were fixed directly on Harry's face. As their eyes met, Harry felt his scar give a brief but notable jolt.

"I've never seen him so quiet," Lucy whispered in his eye, obviously very surprised. "It's a bit disturbing, actually." Harry did not have an answer for this and he left the room, leaving Lucy to prepare Brian for the journey. Harry dispatched a patronus to inform Charlie of their imminent arrival, before being summoned back into the room.

"His mother will be home soon, you take Brian and go on ahead. The password is "McMan"."

Harry nodded and gave a small smile before reaching out and taking a grip on Brian's shoulder. He felt a sudden, almost overpowering urge to strike, to hurt the boy next to him, before he told himself that, despite the threat, that the child next to him was just that: an innocent child. Relaxing for a moment, he focussed on Charlie's Luton flat, and apparated. As soon as he landed outside the flat, he pointed his wand at the boy.

"Obliviate!" he murmured, before banging on Charlie's door.

"Best chess player?" came the immediate response.

"Aaron," Harry replied instantly, "receptionist?"

"Sandrine. Password?"

"McMan, now let me in!" Charlie, opened the door, in his dressing gown, beckoning Harry and Brian in. "You only just got up?"

"Hey, I don't often get days off at the moment," he yawned, his cheery grinned lined with stress in a manner which reminded Harry of Ron and Mr Weasley. "Why is he here? This place isn't protected very well."

"Mad-Eye's orders," Harry responded, shrugging. "I'll go and see him now. Shall I get a couple of the other Order members along?"

"I'll summon them in a bit, when I'm…"

"Decent?" Harry filled in, smiling wryly.

"Quite," Charlie said with a smile. Pointing his wand at Brian Harry cast a sleeping charm before carrying the toddler into Charlie's bombsite of a living room. Raising his eyebrows but not saying anything, Harry focussed his thoughts once more and apparated to the ministry.

NB: Right then, next chapter is called "The Traitor". It will be uploaded once I have moved, although reviews with theories would be marvellous…


	21. Chapter 21 The Traitor

Well here it is… Only just got internet back up and running! Who saw this coming?

Chapter 21 – The Traitor

Choosing the appropriate slide Harry glided down to the Auror department, casually disembarking and heading straight for Moody's office. However, on his way, he almost walked straight into Aaron Shacklebolt.

"Harry," he said, his deep voice that so echoed his late father rumbling across the corridor. He stretched out his hand. "It has been too long. But Lucy's just contacted me, she says you had to move Brian. Why?"

"According to Mad-Eye your place is being watched," Harry answered, "but you know Mad-Eye, he's probably just being overly cautious."

Aaron frowned deeply. "But Mad-Eye told me this morning that we were safe… That Charlie's should just enjoy his day off."

"That's not a very Mad-Eye thing to say…" Harry said, trailing off. "Where is he?"

"Right behind you," came a growling voice. "Am I to take it, Potter, that you have just moved Brian Hinks to Charlie Holloway's house?"

"As instructed," Harry answered, mentally stopping himself from taking a step back.

"Legilimens!" Mad-Eye was so fast that Harry did not have time to employ Occlumency. Harry saw the morning in reverse, Charlie, then Aaron, but just before Moody could see the conversation with Hermione, Harry forced him out.

"What the hell was that for!" Harry yelled, drawing his wand.

"Petrificus totalus!" Mad-Eye yelled, pointing at Harry. Harry fell rigid as a board but, before Aaron could do anything, Mad-Eye had cursed him too. Forcing Aaron into a cupboard, Mad-Eye grabbed a hold of Harry and, despite anti-apparition charms within the Ministry, he apparated the pair of them to Hogsmeade. Mad-Eye propped Harry up against the wall, raising his wand. "Accio invisibility cloak!" Whilst he watched, encased within his own body, Harry tried to understand the incomprehensible truth.

Mad-Eye was a traitor. The strong Auror he had trusted, in spite of his insane paranoia, as much as Kingsley. Kingsley… had Mad-Eye caused the cave to collapse on him? Had he planted the memory in Charlie's head? Who was watching Charlie's now?

"I'm going to cover you with this cloak," Mad-Eye said, his voice agitated as Harry's cloak ground to a halt in Mad-Eye's hand. "Then I'm going to feed you this veritaserum." Harry was puzzled. What was he expecting to find out? Mad-Eye moved forwards and, drawing a small vial out of his pocket, he sat Harry down on a bench, allowing the pair of them to fit underneath the cloak. Without ceremony Mad-Eye grabbed Harry's nose, forcing his mouth open, before tipping a couple of drops of the colourless liquid into Harry's mouth.

Harry, even within his invisible prison, could feel it as his brain compressed. It was a bit similar to the imperius curse, (something, his brain drunkenly registered, as being a bit ironic given that his first experience under that curse had been from the fake-Moody in his fourth year), and he felt his mind becoming slow and the will to fight off Moody's jinx falling.

"Where is Brian Hinks?" Moody growled.

"At Charlie Holloway's flat," Harry answered, acting on a sub-conscious impulse as simple as the one forcing him to breathe.

"Which other people know that he is there?"

"Lucy, Hermione and myself," Harry responded tonelessly.

"Why did you move him there?

"Because you told me too," Harry answered, but even beneath the potion-induced state of stupor Harry could feel a tiny notion of confusion at the question.

"And who told you that?"

"Dobby the house elf: you told him to make me move him," Harry responded.

"Is that him over there?" Moody asked, pointing across towards The Hogs Head. Harry looked at the pointy ears bobbing around the corner.

"Yes," Harry responded instantly. Moody sighed, pinching his nose in such an un-Moody like way that Harry could feel the confusion even more strongly. "I'm going to release the jinx now Potter, and remove the cloak. I will not lower my wand, but I will ask you first not to jinx me. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Harry answered, the confusion now based on the honesty of his answer. He felt his body become looser, his grip on his wand correspondingly firmer, and he drew in a breath of fresh air as Moody lifted the cloak.

"You alright, Potter?" Moody asked, a question that caught Harry entirely off guard.

"That depends… am I going to be attacked again?"

"No. You're going to follow your house elf."

"What?" Harry was stunned.

"I never told your house elf anything," Moody growled softly, helping Harry to his feet. "So either he lied to you of his own accord or someone forced him to. Given what you've told me about him and how you freed him, I'm inclined to believe the latter and, unless I'm very much mistaken, you did not order him into Hogsmeade. Putting these together, we can assume that he is going to meet someone. Put the cloak back on, and follow him. I'm going to see Lucy and tell her to prepare for Brian's return, and then I'll go and fetch him from Holloway's."

Before Harry could stop him, Mad-Eye apparated away, the loud crack reverberating around Hogsmeade. Harry pulled the cloak over himself and hastened across the street, rounding the corner just in time to spot Dobby darting behind Madame Puddifoot's. Slowing to a halt Harry paused, just in time to hear a voice he recognised as belonging to a Death Eater within the lair.

"Imperio!" she said quietly. Dobby froze. "Did you get Potter to move the boy?"

"Yes," Dobby replied in a dreamy voice. "I am awaiting further instruction."

"You will return here tomorrow at noon," she said and, just as Harry was preparing to attack, he heard the crack that signalled her departure. Harry watched as Dobby tipsily moved around the corner, unsure what to do. He allowed the house elf to move past, before deciding that, although he must confront Dobby, he shouldn't do it in the street. Apparating to Godric's Hollow and collecting a stiff drink of Firewhisky from Winky, Harry headed out onto the newly built balcony (Ron's way of saying thanks) overlooking the back garden, and took a deep breath.

"Dobby?" Harry asked the open air. With the third apparition-crack in as many minutes, the small house elf appeared next to him. Harry gazed at him reluctantly. "Dobby, I am ordering you to answer all of my questions honestly. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Dobby replied instantly, his shining eyes dimmed under the recent imperius curse. Harry could see Winky watching out of the corner of his eye.

"Did Alastor Moody ask you to tell me to move Brian Hinks to Charlie Holloway's house?"

"No."

Harry sighed in dismay. "Have you been working for the Secret Elite?"

"Yes."

"No!" Winky cried in anguish, her own eyes not dimmed but glistening with tears. Harry shushed her.

"Are they planning to attack Charlie's house?"

"Yes."

Harry sighed again, before sending Charlie a quick patronus message informing him of the imminent danger. "How else have you helped the Secret Elite?"

"I planted memories in Master Holloway's head," he answered tonelessly. "I set up traps within the stronghold of the Secret Elite."

"You killed Kingsley?" Harry whispered, as much to himself as Dobby.

"Yes sir," Dobby answered, making Harry feel sickened by what Andromidus and his followers had forced Dobby to do.

"How else did you help them?" Harry asked, unsure if he really wanted to know.

"I exchanged your wedding ring for another. I planted a method of spying within Godric's Hollow. I stole the notes of the Fidelius charm and gave them to Master Andromidus. I helped Master Andromidus apparate out of Hogwarts."

"It was you!" Harry exclaimed, recalling the night of Dumbledore's death. He knew that he had seen another figure, but never in his darkest nightmares would he have thought that it had been Dobby.

"I also threw Master Dumbledore's portrait in the lake," Dobby continued, his words slicing through Harry's heart like a knife through butter. "And I created enmity between you and your friends."

"My friends?" Harry asked, feeling winded. "How?"

"I made you suspect Master Taylor by jinxing you in Miss Granger's classroom. I changed Mrs Potter's sweets in the library. I put love potion in you and Miss Granger's drinks last night."

Within the numbness Harry felt the smallest twinge of relief: so he hadn't _really _cheated on Ginny… "Have you got any further instructions?"

"To meet Miss Hallersey tomorrow at noon," Dobby answered, and Harry thought he could see his little house-elf struggling against the imperious curse. "But… I… I must tell you… I'm…" He took a step forward. Harry, unsure whether or not Dobby was going to apologise or, in his imperius induced state, attack, drew his wand, but he was too late.

"No!" yelled Winky, manically, her arms raised high above her head. Then, in a strange echo of Dobby in Harry's second year, she cried: "You shall not harm Master Harry!" An electric beam of blue light crackled out of her palms, smashing Dobby directly in the midriff, sending him toppling over the balcony. Harry, hearing a sickening crunching noise, transformed into a phoenix, preparing his own tears as he flew down but, as he landed next to his poor, broken house-elf, he was only in time to hear Dobby's final, gasping word.

"Grindelwald…" he murmured, weak voice barely making it out of his throat, before his mouth lolled open, tongue flapping uselessly, his uneven head drooping oddly to one side, batted eyelids softly shut, his feeble body broken. Transforming back Harry could feel real, hot tears dripping off the end of his nose, and he sat pack, propping himself up with his palm, shaking with numbness. He heard Winky scuttling out next to him.

"Is Master Harry alright?" she asked, her own voice breaking and, in an instant, Harry knew he could not dismiss her. She had only been trying to protect him, and his mixed feelings about what Dobby had been forced to do and the impression that his poor elf might have been about to attack him could grant him no anger at his other servant. Harry gave her a weak nod, but asked her if she could give him a couple of minutes alone with Dobby. Mad-Eye could cope with Brian Hinks for now.

Harry looked down at the poor creature, letting the emotion overwhelm him. Little Dobby, who had served him so faithfully, was lying dead next to him, neck softly broken, his chest still. He had been forced into such terrible deeds that Harry knew that Dobby would not for a moment even dreamt of, acts that lead to the death of Albus Dumbledore and Kingsley Shacklebolt. He made a note to summon Dumbledore's portrait from the lake a bit later on, and also to reassure Hermione that their kiss really had been meaningless. He did not really spare a thought for Dobby's last word; the curiosity would come later.

But this was also Dobby who had, and Harry couldn't help a tiny smile, stolen his mail in his second year, sealed off platform nine and three-quarters, (an act that had almost got Harry and Ron expelled), and caused a bludger to chase him around the quidditch pitch. Dobby who had acted, in his own peculiar way, always and only to protect Harry, even to the point of punishing himself: Harry particularly remembered Dobby talking to him with bandages covering his palms when he had ironed his hands.

Gently burying Dobby under a veiled willow tree in the corner of his garden, Harry decided that he needed to leave Godric's Hollow for a couple of days, but first he had to reassure the weeping form of Winky. He poured her a tiny glass of butterbeer to settle her nerves and forbade her from punishing herself. However, all he really knew at that moment was that he needed something normal and simple to do and so, walking into Hogsmeade a moment later, he headed into The Three Broomsticks.


End file.
